What is a low bed trailer?

28 Oct.,2024

 

What is a low bed trailer?

What is a low bed trailer?

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Jul 4,

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Imagine you are transporting a huge load and you have almost reached your destination and are about to make the last turn, but you find that there is a low height restriction, perhaps a bollard or a culvert.

At this point, despite your rush and anxiety, you end up having to take a detour to make your delivery. It suddenly dawns on you that a low bed trailer could save you the headache and unnecessary hassle that you are currently wasting time on.

So what is a low bed trailer? Let&#;s read on to learn about all its features and benefits.

Design

A low bed trailer has two levels (steps, goose necks) but usually doesn&#;t have any sides or top. This design means it is very flexible and you can use it to transport a wide variety of things.

When comparing different trailer types, a low bed trailer is suitable for loads where space is a concern. You don&#;t have to worry about fitting a load based on width, length, or height.

The flat-bed design means you can load the trailer like a flatbed, but the load will be closer to the ground. This is a great option when load height is an issue.

If you need to pass under a lower bridge, you&#;ll want to keep your load below this height. By lowering the flatbed, you can still hook up the trailer as usual, but the load may be higher.

Size

Lowbed trailers are also called gooseneck lowbed trailers. They can come in a variety of sizes, but there are some restrictions. For example, a gooseneck lowbed trailer cannot be more than 8.5 feet wide (3 meters for an over-the-bottom flatbed trailer and 2.55 meters for a general trailer).

The trailer cannot extend more than 48 to 53 feet long (GB-maximum total length does not exceed 13.75 meters), the load cannot be more than 10 feet high (semi-trailers carrying goods, the height from the ground cannot exceed 4 meters, and vehicles carrying containers cannot exceed 4.2 meters), and the maximum load is also 48,000 pounds (42 tons for three axles and 55 tons for five axles).

However, you can find a smaller lowbed trailer. If you don&#;t need the full length, you can find a shorter flatbed so that you can transport what you need.

The standard size of lowbed trailers is perfect for transporting goods over long distances. If you need to move wood or other materials, you can use a trailer to get the job done.

Materials

The most common material for lowbed trailers is steel. It&#;s strong and durable, and you don&#;t need an extra ton of steel on your trailer for it to work well.

However, aluminum is less expensive to use on lowbed trailers, so you can save money. But it&#;s not as durable as steel, so you&#;ll need more of it to achieve the same effect.

The extra aluminum can affect the height of the lowbed trailer, so you may not be able to get as low as you can when loading your cargo.

Aluminum can be a great option if you need to drive your trailer in the snow. Steel isn&#;t as good with snow or salt that you might put on the ground to help melt snow or ice.

Both steel and aluminum work well, so you should consider which material is right for your needs.

Use

The biggest reason to compare a gooseneck flatbed trailer vs a flatbed trailer is use. A gooseneck flatbed trailer may look like just another type of flatbed, but there are some key differences.

Flatbed trailers are taller than lowbed trailers, so they&#;re better suited for cargo that isn&#;t as tall. If you can spread the load along the flatbed, a flatbed is a better choice.

However, if you need to put a lot of material up high or stack it very high, you should consider a lowbed. The lower height helps with the center of gravity, and it prevents you from exceeding any height restrictions.

For more Low Bed Trailerinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

If you can afford both a lowbed and a flatbed trailer, you can buy a lowbed trailer. It will accommodate taller and shorter loads, so you don&#;t have to worry about switching between different types of trailers.

If you have multiple trailer types, consider the loads you need to transport. Then, you can load the one that best suits the trip.

Versatility

While you can do a lot with a lowbed, you can also use it as a flatbed trailer. You can raise the lowest lowbed to the highest flatbed position.

Doing this will turn your lowbed trailer into a flatbed, so you can use it however you want. You can load shorter loads onto the same trailer without having to make as many adjustments.

The versatility of a lowbed trailer can be useful if you don&#;t have enough trailers. It can also help you make better use of your trip time.

If you have a load that&#;s a little shorter than the others, you can use the standup plate instead of going back to the warehouse or storage facility. Then, you can save time and money, and you can be more efficient.

Safety

One of the problems with many lowbed trailers is that they don&#;t have a ton of safety features. Since there are no sides or top, you have to secure the load as much as possible.

You can use tie-downs and chains to keep the load from moving around. However, the cargo can become loose or the tie-downs can break.

If you want your lowbed trailer to feel a little extra secure, you need to get one with pins. The fences prevent larger items from moving around too much and keep the load on the trailer.

You can also look for a lowbed trailer with a ramp so you can load everything efficiently. Then, you won&#;t need to lift the items onto the flatbed and position them.

The way you load your lowbed trailer is essential, and it&#;s not worth the extra height if you can&#;t keep everything secure. Make sure to lock it up before you hit the road with taller cargo.

Is a lowbed trailer the right trailer for you? I would say that a lowbed trailer is a great tool for transporting a variety of cargo. You don&#;t have to worry about the limitations of the side panels and you can increase the height of the load.

However, you should consider what you need to transport and the size and weight of the cargo. Of course, if you don&#;t have much cargo, you can compare and consider other types of trailers.

Finally, the low-bed trailer can also achieve width widening by extending the structure to both sides, which can play a huge role in the transportation of certain large items, especially ultra-wide items, such as large construction machinery, mining vehicles, etc.

Differences Between Flatbed and Lowboy Trailers | NTS

Trailers and trucks are the cornerstone of the transportation and logistics industry. They facilitate the transportation of various types of freight, especially heavy loads, over long distances, allowing you to move products and equipment with ease. There are many types of trucks and trailers suited to shipping different types, sizes and shapes of loads.

Flatbed and lowboy trailers are two of the common types used to ship unusually shaped and sized freight. If you&#;re interested in a trailer that lowers to the ground or want to know the differences between these trailer types, continue reading our guide below for all the information you need.

What Is a Flatbed Trailer?

A flatbed trailer is among the most common semi-trailers used to transport large and bulky loads. Flatbed trailer trucks have a long, flat body without sides or a roof. These types of trucks are extremely versatile as they allow loading and offloading from any side of the trailer using forklifts, cranes or other specialized equipment.

They&#;re also available in many sizes and configurations. Standard or conventional flatbed trailers consist of a straight-frame, flat and rectangular bed without any special design &#; not even a drop in height as you move along the flatbed. These typically have 5 feet of clearance from the ground.

Flatbed trailers are ideal for transporting wide, irregularly shaped or unusually sized loads that can&#;t fit in regular trucks. However, the loads must be secured to the flatbed using damps, a rack and stake pockets during transit. It may also be necessary to cover the load to protect it from the elements. Constant monitoring ensures the load remains securely attached until it reaches the delivery destination.

Some of the most suitable uses of flatbed trucks include transporting:

  • Construction steelwork, such as pipes
  • Lumber 
  • Heavy machinery and equipment

You can optimize delivery times by opting for flatbed trucking services, as they allow you to transport more cargo at once. This strategy also ensures drivers make fewer trips and reduce fuel consumption, which in turn leads to significant cost savings.

What Is a Lowboy Trailer?

A lowboy or lowbed trailer is a type of heavy-duty flatbed trailer. These trailers are designed to haul oversized and overweight cargo that typically weighs more and is taller than regular cargo. They&#;re also great for maneuvering rough terrain or through tight spaces.

To facilitate their heavy-duty use, lowboy flatbed trailers have two drops in the deck height to allow the trailer to lower to the ground as much as possible. The first drop is right after the gooseneck, and the second is right before the wheels. Lowboy trailers are also extremely low, sitting at around 18 inches off the ground to accommodate freight that&#;s too tall &#; up to 12 feet &#; and can&#;t be shipped legally using higher trucks.

The lowered deck height also lowers the center of gravity for the truck, ensuring a more stable ride for bulky and oversized freight. Lowboy trailers are available in various sizes and designs, some with open configurations and others with enclosed containers. Heavy loads on the open lowbeds are supported using two to eight aluminum or premium steel axles.

Loading and unloading freight on and off a lowboy trailer is easy because of its low height, its hydraulic system that lifts the trailer for loading, and air brakes that ensure safe slowing down and stopping.

You can use lowboy trucking services to ship a variety of heavy machinery and equipment, including:

  • Large vehicles, such as vans and off-highway trucks
  • Bulldozers
  • Mining equipment
  • Agricultural machinery
  • Industrial machinery

The Main Differences Between Flatbed Trucks vs. Lowboy Trailers

While standard flatbed trucks and lowboy trailers seemingly ship the same type of freight &#; oversized and unusually shaped &#; they have some distinct differences. Below, we highlight the main features that distinguish these two types of flatbed trucks.

Physical Structure

The physical structure of the truck bed determines the type of cargo it can transport safely and efficiently. The dimensions of trailers vary widely based on the specific models, manufacturers and trailer types. The following list shows the differences in the maximum physical dimensions of both types of trailers:

  • Trailer freight height: A flatbed trailer&#;s legal freight height is typically 8.5 feet. Comparatively, a lowboy trailer&#;s legal freight height is 11.5 feet to 12 feet.
  • Trailer width: When it comes to width, both trailer types are 8.5 feet wide.
  • Trailer length: Depending on the model, both trailer trailers can measure 48 feet to 53 feet long.

Capacity for Freight Load

Flatbed trailers are generally lighter than lowboy trailers. Their actual weight depends on the design, construction materials and additional features. Standard flatbed trailers weigh 6,000 pounds to 12,000 pounds on average and can haul freights of up to 48,000 pounds.

Like a flatbed trailer, the weight of a lowboy trailer varies depending on the model, manufacturer and carrying capacity. Conventional two-axle lowboy trailers generally weigh 15,000 pounds to 18,000 pounds and have a maximum weight capacity of 40,000 pounds. Adding axles can boost the weight capacity to 80,000 pounds.

Types of Freight

Flatbed trailers offer extensive versatility. You can use them to haul anything from building materials and construction equipment to machinery and steel products. You can use a flatbed trailer to ship anything that does not exceed 8.5 feet in width and 8.5 in height, regardless of its shape. It&#;s preferable to use flatbeds to ship freight that can withstand different weather conditions.

Lowboy trailers are ideal if you&#;re looking to ship anything that&#;s unusually sized or shaped. However, the freight must not be more than 8.5 wide and 12 feet high. Overall, this trailer type is the best option for hauling freight that can fit on other trailer types, ensuring compliance with road safety restrictions and other relevant guidelines.

Get in Touch With Nationwide Transport Services for All Your Trucking Needs

Choosing the right transport services for your oversized or oddly shaped freight may be challenging, considering all of the options that are available. At Nationwide Transport Services, we can help you decide on the right strategy for your trucking needs through comprehensive logistics planning. We&#;ll connect you with a knowledgeable logistics agent, who will work with you to explore transportation methods, coordinate pickups and deliveries, track your freight and more.

Organizing your logistics process is easier and more effective with a professional team on your side. Even if your needs are unique or specialized, we&#;re ready to help you find the best approach &#; even if it involves building a strategy from scratch. Are you ready to learn more about leveraging our logistics solutions? Request a free shipping quote today.

Are you interested in learning more about Hydraulic Modular Trailer Specifications? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!