The Ultimate Guide to Choosing modular low bed semi trailers

Would you like to know more about a trailer that can transport such heavy loads? Have you heard of a lowbed trailer (lowboy trailer) and its capacity to transport up to 150 tons? In this guide, you will learn everything about a low bed trailer. We will show how you can choose the best low bed trailer / lowbed trailer for your business. You can follow this guide and purchase a cost-effective lowboy/low bed trailer from China. Lowbed trailers have different capacities, such as 20 T/tons, 30 T/tons, 50 T/tons, 70 T/tons, 80 T/tons and 100 T/tons, 120 T/tons, 150 T/tons. Each type use different number of axles from 2, 3, 4 axles to 7, 8 axles. Free PDF Download This guide has a detailed discussion on the structure of a low bed trailer / lowbed trailer, its components, and quality control process. We discuss different types of low bed trailers and the advantages of each type. You will also learn the manufacturing process of the heavy transporters. Low bed trailers are used in different industries including heavy-cargo transportation and trucking among others. The trailers are referred to as lowboys in some countries. Others consider the hydraulic axles modular trailer as a low bed trailer. Modular Transporter Ultimate Guide (SPMT and Modular Trailer) is available now, get more details about hydraulic low bed trailer. This guide does not cover a hydraulic trailer. We will release another complete handbook with all the details you need about a hydraulic module trailer. This guide focuses on low bed trailers without hydraulic suspension. If you have just joined the logistics industries, you will benefit from this handbook. We will give you all the information on how the low loaders technology works. New guide book: Tank Trailer Guide Book – Learn All about Tanker Trailers (Download Free) Chapter 1: What is a low bed trailer? A low bed trailer is a heavy-duty vehicle that is to transport heavy, wide, and tall cargo. In this chapter, you will learn: The history of low bed trailers Applications and advantages of low bed trailers Different types of low bed trailers with detailed pictures for each type Different structures of low bed trailers with pictures of all the components Load capacity calculation This chapter has all the basic information about the heavy-duty trailers. Here are some pictures of different types of low bed trailers. 1.1 The History of Low Bed Trailers The first low bed trailer was manufactured in the 1920s. This first model had a riveted gooseneck that would be attached to a truck from the front part of the trailer. The model had solid rubber tires on the rear part. It could only be loaded from the rear part. The design limited the method of loading heavy cargo. Operable equipment would be driven onto the deck of the trailer over the rubber back tires. A better model of low boy trailers was introduced in the 1950s. The loading capacity of the improved model was higher and loading heavy equipment on the deck was easier. The trailers with a detachable gooseneck were introduced in 1958. The design made loading the deck even easier. The first model could only be loaded from the back because of the riveted gooseneck. The new models introduced in the 1950s could be loaded front the front. The detachable gooseneck trailers back then operated in the same way as the current models of RGN trailers. The design eliminated the need for loading ramps in low boy trailers. Low bed trailers have evolved over the year to include hydraulic systems. A hydraulic ram is used in modern trailers to lift the trailer to meet the unit after loading. Modern models of low bed trailers have air breaks, which were missing in old models. The lowboy can be towed by trucks. 1.2 Applications and Advantages of Low Bed Trailers Applications Low bed trailers are used to transport heavy cargo is different industries. Here are most common uses of the heavy-duty trailers. Heavy vehicles: Vehicle manufactures use low bed trailers to transport heavy vehicles from one showroom to another. The transporters are used to move the vehicles from the port to showrooms and sometimes to clients. Some of the heavy vehicles that low bed trailers transport include buses, tractors, and special vehicles. A low bed trailers can transport stacks of small vehicles at the same time. Rail vehicles: There are different categories of rail vehicles including road-rail vehicles, goods wagon, locomotives, and rail motor coach among others. The common characteristic of these vehicles is that they are heavy and bulky. Low bed trailers are among the best ways to transport rail vehicles. Mining machinery: Mining requires heavy machinery for drilling and transporting materials including crude oil and minerals. The machinery is assembled offsite and then transported to the mining sites using low bed trailers. The heavy haulers are preferred because the structure of mining machinery. Mining equipment is perhaps the heaviest cargo that machinery manufacturers transport on the road. Forestry machinery: The forestry industry uses heavy machinery as well. Heavy equipment is required to cut down and transport logs. Sometimes the logs are processed into timber and other by-products at the site before transporting the products. The machinery is manufactured assembly halls or imported before it is transported to the forest. Low bed trailers are used to move the forestry machinery from the assembly to the forests. The wheels of the trailers can navigate the rough terrain in forests. Low bed trailers are also used to move forestry machinery from one forest to another or back to assembly halls after a project is completed. Agricultural machinery: Agriculture is another field that uses heavy machinery. The machinery is mostly used for large-scale farming. Such large farms are located far from towns and cities. The major agricultural machinery that low bed trailers transport includes loaders, excavators, bulldozers, cranes, and pavers. The heavy trailers can navigate muddy agricultural farms and move machinery from one farm to another. Construction: Low bed trailers are used in the construction industry as well. The heavy duty vehicles are commonly used in the construction of roads and bridges. Some construction equipment and blocks cannot be transported with the normal semi-trailers. Low bed trailers are used to transport concrete blocks to the construction sites. The blocks are not only heavy but also large. Constructors use the trailers to transports materials in bulk such as cement and beams Windmill components: The components of windmills are usually assembly in a factory and then transported to their sites. Similar to other heavy cargo, the components are wide and heavy. The components cannot fit on a closed trailer because of their design and structure. Lowboy trailers are efficient way of transport these components to their site. Low bed trailers are not only used to transport machinery and vehicle but all categories of heavy loads. For instance, finished products from these industries are packed in containers and stacked on lowboys for transportation. The transporters can move stacks of heavy containers without toppling over. Hence, many manufacturers prefer to transported finished products to retailers with low bed trailers. Advantages of low bed trailers Low bed trailers are widely used in different sectors because of their advantages over other heavy transporters. The main advantages are outlined below. Stability The deck of the lowboys is extremely compared to other heavy haulers. A low-lying deck means that the center of gravity is low. Hence, low bed trainers are more stable when transporting heavy cargo than trailers. One of the ways of increasing stability is widening the base of support. This is possible with low bed trailers because the cargo plane width can be widened. The trailers remain stable on the road irrespective of the height and weight of the cargo. Safety Low bed trailers are specifically designed to carry heavy loads. The trailers are made of high-strength materials that can withstand pressure of up to 700mpa. In addition, the height of the main beams can be as high as 550mm. Hence, manufacturers are assured of the safety of their equipment and products during the transportation process. Below is a picture of the heavy beams that are used to make low bed trailers: A full discussion of all components and materials used to make low bed trailers follows in Chapter 2.2.1. Complying with height restrictions Some countries have laws that restrict the height of cargo that can be transported on the road. Low bed trailers offer companies a solution to transport extra tall equipment safely without breaking the laws. Loading tall equipment on a trailer is often a huge challenge to transport companies. Some types of low bed trailers allow the user to lower the rear part, which makes loading heavy cargo easier and safer. More details about different types of low bed trailers including the detachable trailers are outlined in the next section. Versatility One reason why many companies buy low bed trailers is that they are versatile. The trailers can heavy loads and over-width cargo. In most cases, heavy machinery and equipment are extra wide. The structure of low bed trailers enable companies to transport such wide cargo easily. Remember that trailers can handle extra tall cargo as well. A company that handles different types of cargo does not need to buy different trailers for each category.  A low bed trailer can transport any type of goods as long as the goods are packaged appropriately. All that transporters worry about after buying a low bed trailer is how to maintain it in good condition. Learn More: Specs and capacity of low bed/lowboy trailer How To Keep Cargo Stable On A Low Bed Trailer Low Bed Trailer Wiki 1.3 Different Types of Low Bed Trailers Ordinary low bed trailer An ordinary low bed trailer has a flat plate type, that is, the cargo plate is a flatbed. The trailer has only one drop, which is after the goose-neck as shown in the picture below. The trailer is used to transport normal heavy cargo. It cannot transport cargo with a high height as other trailers. This type of trailer has a higher working platform than other low bed trailers because of the flat plate type. The position of the working platform explains its limitations in transporting cargo with a high height. A standard two-axle low bed trailers can transport up to 40,000 pounds. However, it is possible to increase the load capacity by increasing the number of axles. The load capacity will also depend on the model. Some factories produce standard low bed trailers with additional axles depending on the customer’s needs. You can request for a customized standard trailer depending on the type of cargo. Advantages One of the benefits of using the ordinary low bed trailer is that it is cost-effective. The trailer is cheaper than other heavy-duty trailers. Another advantage is that the cargo platform is longer. The second half of the ordinary low bed trailers can be used as a cargo platform. The picture below shows this second part that extends the cargo platform. Low loader trailer This type of a trailer is also referred to as a double drop deck trailer. The main characteristic of the trailer is that it has a lower cargo platform. Its cargo platform is positioned lower than the rear half of the trailer. The structure of the cargo platform is call a staircase structure or a concave beam. Advantages The main advantage of the low loader trailer is high stability. The staircase structure lowers the height of the cargo center, which increases stability during transportation.  The trailer is commonly used to move heavy equipment and cargo with a high height. It is best suited in countries that have strict height restrictions. Below is are pictures of a double drop deck trailer. Removable gooseneck trailers (RGN trailers) and folding gooseneck trailers RGN trailers have the same staircase structure at the real part as the low loader trailers. The major difference in these trailers is that the gooseneck can be removed. RGN trailers are used for transporting heavy equipment and machinery. When using an ordinary low bed trailer, the heavy cargo is loaded from the rear part. However, the cargo is loaded from the front part when using a RGN trailer. Loading heavy cargo from the front is possible because the gooseneck is removable. Folding gooseneck trailers offer the same convenience of loading cargo from the front. The difference with RGN trailers is in the movement of the gooseneck. Both RGN and folding gooseneck trailers do not have rear ladders as other trailers.  There are two major types of detachable gooseneck trailers. The first type is the hydraulic RGN trailer. It is the easiest and fastest to detach compared to other types of detachable gooseneck trailers. The hydraulic RGN is versatile and the most common type of low boy trailers.  The trailer uses hydraulic cylinders to detach the gooseneck. The cylinder lower and raise the trailer as required when loading cargo. The hydraulic RGN trailer has a small cylinder that attaches the gooseneck to the truck. Heavy cargo can be driven from the front part to the deck of the trailer when the gooseneck is detached.  Hydraulic RGN trailers can be operated from the truck auxilliary. An alternative way is to run from a pony motor that can be mounted in the gooseneck of the RGN trailer. The shortcoming of hydraulics is that they are heavy and have a shorter deck length. The second type of RGN trailers is the mechanical detachable goosneck trailer. Raising and lowering the trailer in this type is harder and slower compared to the hydraulics. The main advantage of mechanical RGN trailers is that they are lighter and cheaper. In addition, they have a longer decking that makes them suitable for long and heavy cargo. Many of the folding gooseneck trailers are mechanical. In the case of folding gooseneck trailers, the deck folds down to the ground. Hydraulic detachable goosenecks have more maintenance needs than mechanical detachabel goosenecks. The hydraulic system increase the maintenance needs and costs. The ease and speed of loading cargo come at an additional cost of maintain the hydraulic system. Transporting bulldozer by detachable goosneck trailer Advantages Why should you choose a removable or folding goose-neck trailer instead of other low bed trailers? One benefit is that loading heavy from the front is safer than loading from the rear part or from the sides. Loading from the back is unsafe especially when moving heavy equipment. The rear part has a staircase structure. Hence, a long ladder is required to load heavy equipment. The heavy cargo may fall off the ladder or from the rear part to the cargo platform. Such falls will damage the equipment or cargo even before they are transported.  Read More: Detachable gooseneck for trailers and the like Folding gooseneck trailer Difference between Lowboy Trailer and RGN trailer – What is RGN trailer? The Difference between Removable Gooseneck Trailer and Folding Gooseneck Trailer 1.4 Different Structures of Low Bed Trailers There are different types of low bed trailers as outlined above. However, low bed trailers have different structures as well. Hence, you may find the same type of trailers with different structures. There are four main structures of low bed trailers. First, The differentiating factor in this structure is the number of main beams. The trailer may have 2 or 3 beams depending on the load capacity. 3 beams may be used to enhance the safety of the cargo. Below is an illustration of a 3-beam trailer: Second, Most low bed trailers have an iron plate, which is strong and durable. However, some countries prefer to use wooden boards instead of iron plate. The main reason for using a wooden board is to reduce the total weight of the trailer. Here is an example of a low bed trailer with a wood board. Third, Sometimes the cargo that needs to be transported requires the dimensions of the low bed trailers to be adjusted. The cargo may be wide or long. This structure is different from others in that the trailer’s board can be widened to carry a wide cargo. Trailers with this structure have a widening device on the side as shown in the picture below:   Fourth, The tires of a low bed trailer can either be exposed or unexposed.  The main purpose of exposing the tires is to reduce the height of the trailer. The practice is common in countries with strict height restrictions. Unexposed tires are common in countries with no height limitations. Here is a picture of a trailer with unexposed tires: Here is an example of a low bed trailer with exposed tires: 1.5 Load Capacity Calculation The best way to purchase a low bed trailer is to consult an engineer. The professional help of an engineer will guide you in determining the load capacity of the trailer. Your first consideration when buying a low bed trailer is the maximum weight that you intend to transfer with the trailer. The right trailer should have the capacity to transport that weight. However, you will not always get quick feedback from an engineer. Here is the method to use to calculate the load capacity without an engineer: Maximum load capacity = number of axles x each axle’s load capacity + the load capacity of the towing truck This formula enables you to estimate the maximum weight you can transfer using any trailer. However, you need another formula the right axle capacity. Axles have different load capacities. The most common axles are 13t, 26t, and 30t or heavy load model. Here is the formula for choosing axles. Total weight = empty weight (vehicle weight) + cargo weight = 2 x number of axles x each axle’s load capacity The assumption in this formula is that the total axle’s load capacity is approximately equal to the load capacity of the towing truck. With this formula, you can choose the right axle type without an engineer.   Chapter 2: Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Low Bed Trailer China has many excellent manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles including low bed trailers. This chapter provides a buying guide to help you buy the right low bed trailer for your business. The aspects of the purchasing process covered in this chapter include: How to choose a suitable model How to choose components The complete manufacturing processes How to choose a company Let us now focus on each of these aspects in detail. By the end of the chapter, you will have all the information you need to buy a cost-effective trailer from China. 2.1 How to Choose a Suitable Model The ordinary low bed trailers, RGN trailers, and low loaders have their advantages and disadvantages. Then right model for your business will depend on the type of cargo that you want to transport. Choosing the right low boy trailer is important because of the safety of your goods. You want your goods to arrive to their destination in a good condition at all times. Any accidents and damages on the road will lead to huge losses. Since lowboy trailers carry heavy and expensive cargo, any damages will have a huge effect on your business profits. If you are operating a freight company, accidents and damages will ruin the reputation of your business. Another disadvantage of choosing the wrong model of low bed trailer is downtime. You will always disappoint your clients because of occasional downtime if you choose a trailer to low quality components. Here are major considerations you should make to choose the right model. Price: Always start the purchases process with a budget in mind. The prices of low bed trailers vary with their load capacities and performance. The ordinary low bed trailers have a higher cost performance for transporting heavy goods than trailers. The best model should fit your budget. If you are looking for a trailer to transport heavy cargo at the least cost possible, the ordinary low bed trailers are your best choice. Cargo dimension: It is important to consider the dimensions of your cargo when choosing a trailer model. Consider the width and height, especially if your country has height limitations for transportation vehicles.