What Are the Pros and Cons of Different Trailer Types

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As specialists in transport logistics since 2012, we excel at discerning the ideal type of trailer that should be used to ensure the success of each load, considering the diverse array of trailer types available in the market today. From length and weight to budget and shape, each distinct characteristic of your job determines just the kind of carrier you’ll need. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of different trailer types to get you up to speed. 

Flatbeds

When you think of open-air trailers, you probably think of a flatbed. Certainly the most common kind of trailer, the flatbed is capable of transporting a wide variety of freight, everything from steel lumber to equipment and containers. 

Flatbeds are easy to load and unload with a forklift or crane. The 48-foot flatbed trailer is the most common, but you’ll also find flatbeds in 24, 40, 45, 48 and 53 feet. 

Pros of flatbeds

• Commonly used and easy to find
• Versatile for different types of loads

Cons of flatbeds 

• Sits 5 feet off the ground, so their maximum non-permitted freight height is 8 feet 6 inches
• Maximum capacity of 48,000 lbs, so not ideal for oversized loads

Step-decks

Also known as drop-decks, the step-deck trailer is another one of the most commonly used trailer types on the road today. A familiar flatbed alternative, the step-deck trailer has an upper deck and a lower deck, allowing taller loads to be more easily transported. Typically 48 feet long, the step-deck is often found with an 11-foot upper deck and 37-foot lower deck. But, they can go up to as long as 53 feet.  

Pros of step-decks

• Simple and easy to use like the flatbed
• Added height capacity that allows non-permitted loads up to 10 feet 2 inches

Cons of step-decks 

• The shorter lower deck limits the length of the modules that can be transported
• Must be loaded with a crane, forklift, or other type of loading equipment

Lowboys 

Lowboys — also known as double-drops — are among the lowest trailers on the market. Thanks to two drops below the gooseneck and the back wheels, lowboys can carry non-permitted modules up to 11 feet 6 inches and carry anywhere from 40,000 to 80,000 pounds. Because of its low drop and high weight capacity, a lowboy is ideal for tall, heavy modules. 

Pros of lowboys

• Low deck height can haul taller modules 
• Can carry loads up to 80,000 pounds, making it ideal for heavy modules

Cons of lowboys

• Less common and more expensive
• The well of the lowboy is usually 26’ – 29’ long, limiting the length of the module that can be hauled. 

RGNs

While an RGN might look like a lowboy, there’s one key difference that makes this trailer totally unique. On an RGN, the gooseneck at the front of the trailer can be removed from the tractor, making a ramp that’s easy for on and offloading. The deck length is typically less than 30 feet long, so module length will be limited. 

Pros of RGNs

• Low deck height allows for taller modules
• High weight limit can support heavy modules

Cons of RGNs

• More expensive
• Require experts who are knowledgeable about how to load the lowboy as well as secure it and drive it 

Hydraulic carriers

Also known as ‘floats,’ these specialized trailers have the ability to move their deck up and down to load modules onto cribbing and offload modules off of cribbing. These hydraulic carriers are critical for the safe loading and unloading of certain kinds of loads, like wood framed modular structures that could otherwise be damaged by torsional forces when lifted by a crane. 

Pros of hydraulic trailers

• You don’t have to rent cranes or forklifts, or hire the experts to maneuver them.
• Hydraulic trailers are ideal for wide, long modules. 

Cons of hydraulic trailers

• These trailers are typically more expensive to own and operate.
• Hydraulic trailers can be harder to find because it’s such specialized equipment. However, companies like Stream Modular are investing in hydraulic trailers so that the modular industry they serve can use them to scale their business and ultimately grow the industry. 

Many trailers, one solution.

Our team at Stream Modular is here to help guide you through the entire transport and logistics process — including choosing the right trailer for your load. Get in touch with our team to discuss your project and to get our expertise on what trailer we think fits the bill. Plus, we’ll tell you all about our automated process led by a team of experts that ensures every one of your deliveries goes off without a hitch. 

Stream Modular is a transportation logistics company specializing exclusively in modular construction. We help modular manufacturers and builders transport mods, pods and panels so they arrive on time and safely to the build site.

Read more:

• In Modular Building Transportation, Start Logistics Planning from the Design Phase
• Why Stream Modular?
• Bringing It Home: The Transportation and Assembly of Modular Buildings is a Science and an Art