There are many different types of trailers on the market, and understanding the differences between them can sometimes seem overwhelming. However, each of these trailers has a unique purpose and benefits,making it ideal for something that the others aren’t as good at.
In this guide, we will discuss in detail the various types of trailers, their characteristics, and their benefits. Let’s get into it.
Dump Trailers
There are many different types of trailers for hauling, but the dump trailer fills a unique niche within this market.
As the name suggests, these trailers are specifically designed for the transport of cargo loads that can be dumped. For example, these trailers are common in the construction industry where they’re used to transport things like sand, gravel, and building rubble.
Types of Dump Trailers
Because dump trucks fill such a specific niche but are common for transporting many different load types, there are many different types of dump trailers. To mention just a few of these trailer types, they include the following:
- End dump trailers – The most common type of dump trailer, these trailers have a gate at the end, through which the cargo is unloaded. A pneumatic or hydraulic system lifts the back end of the trailer, allowing the cargo to slide out by gravity.
- Side dump trailers – Side dump trailers are equipped with hydraulic rams that tilt the trailer to either the right or left to dump the cargo out the side of the trailer.
- Belly dump trailers – These trailers have gates in the belly of the trailer, which open up to allow the cargo to flow out of the trailer. They dump their loads at high speeds to form rows of materials, rather than piles.
- Live bottom/live floor trailers – These trailers are essentially a type of end dump trailer. However, they have a belt floor that allows you to dump the payload out more precisely than you are able to with other dump trailers.
Benefits of Dump Trailers
While these trailers offer many benefits, it’s worth noting that the benefits vary depending on the type of dump trailer. Examples include:
- Easy offloading of loose payloads.
- Excellent durability and versatility.
- Fantastic stability and safety.
Gooseneck Trailers
Unlike some other types of trailers, this isn’t a trailer with a specific use. Rather, the gooseneck is a type of trailer that allows for greater maneuverability. Many different styles of trailers are made with goosenecks to facilitate easy maneuverability. As the name implies, these trailers have an elongated end (similar to a goose’s neck) on the attachment side of the trailer. As a result, the driver of the towing vehicle has more space and elasticity for maneuvering the trailer. Additionally, gooseneck trailers have a hitch that overlaps with the towing vehicle, placing the weight of the pull (and centering it) on the rear axle of the vehicle.Types of Gooseneck Trailers
As mentioned, the gooseneck style of trailer can cover many other types of trailers in terms of function and purpose. Some of the most common places you’ll see gooseneck trailers may include the following:
- Flatbed gooseneck trailers offer the reliability and low-tech design of a flatbed, with the maneuverability of the gooseneck.
- Gooseneck dump trailers give you the advantages of easy dumping and flexibility.
- Gooseneck auto trailers make it even easier to move cars and other vehicles around.
- Gooseneck tilt trailers allow you to load and unload effortlessly and navigate narrow turning spaces.
Benefits of Gooseneck Trailers
When you buy a gooseneck trailer, you’re buying into a whole range of benefits that most trailers don’t offer. Some of these include the following:
- Increased stability – Because of the way a gooseneck trailer connects to the towing vehicle, they offer much better stability than something like a bumper-pull trailer.
- Better maneuverability – Because gooseneck trailers can make tighter turns, this makes them easier to maneuver, and detach, within the confines of a narrow space.
- Increased capacity – Because of the way gooseneck trailers distribute the weight of the cargo, they are generally able to handle larger and heavier cargo than a bumper-pull trailer.
- Better weight distribution – If you purchase a longer gooseneck trailer, it distributes the weight of the cargo more evenly across the trailer’s axles, resulting in a better, more stable towing experience.
- Versatility – Because the gooseneck can be used on so many different kinds of trailers, these trailers offer excellent versatility and are useful for a range of different tasks and industries.
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Pintle Trailers
The pintle trailer is a type of bumper-pull trailer intended for heavy-purpose towing uses. These trailers work with a hook-and-loop system, offering greater stability and resistance to tough terrain. While it doesn’t have the same capacity or maneuverability as a gooseneck trailer, the selection of trailers using a pintle and ball attachment is incredibly diverse and includes several heavy-duty applications.Types of Pintle Trailers
As mentioned, the pintle trailer is a type of hitch rather than a group of trailers. As with the gooseneck, this means that these trailers may include many different trailer types. Some examples of trailer types that regularly use pintle hitches include the following:- Agricultural trailers
- Military trailers
- Cargo trailers
- Utility trailers
- Enclosed Trailers
- Flatbed trailers
- Race trailers
Benefits of Pintle Trailers
When it comes to advantages, pintle trailers offer plenty of them. Some examples of these benefits include the following:- The pintle trailer offers a higher tongue weight capacity than many other trailer hitch types.
- Pintle trailers may have a greater range of movement than certain other hitches, with the exclusion of gooseneck trailers.
- Pintle trailers are exceptionally good at handling rough terrain.
- Pintle trailers offer excellent durability, especially when compared to something like a receiver hitch.
Other Types of Trailer Hitches
If we’re discussing the different trailer types, it’s important to mention that there are a few hitch types beyond the gooseneck or pintle and ball hitches. These include the following:- Receiver Hitches – The receiver hitch is probably the most common type of hitch used in the trailer industry. These hitches are divided into five different classes based on the size of the receiver tube and the towing capacity of the vehicle. These hitches consist of a type of square tube that attaches to the frame of the towing vehicle.
- Weight Distribution Hitches – Weight distribution hitches are technically a type of receiver hitch that serve to distribute the trailer’s tongue weight across the vehicle and the trailer.
- 5th Wheel Hitches – A fifth wheel hitch is a heavy-duty hitch that is installed in the bed of a pickup truck, and allows for the pulling of large trailers. These hitches use a kingpin and coupler system to attach and detach the trailer.
Cargo and Enclosed Trailers
Cargo trailers and enclosed trailers are essentially flatbed or utility trailers that have been enclosed with a roof and walls. As the name suggests, they are used for various types of cargo that require the added protection of a closed trailer.
Types of Cargo Trailers
These trailers are incredibly diverse, which means that you may encounter a whole range of different trailers falling under this name.
As an example, this may include trailers with a single trailer or a double trailer. They may have a gooseneck, pintle hitch, or another hitch type, and they may be used for a wide range of different purposes.
Some examples of different applications for these enclosed and cargo trailers include:
- Food trailers
- Enclosed trailers for transporting goods
- Mobile stores and businesses
- Transporting tools and equipment for different businesses and industries
- Mobile living quarters for on-site workers and travelers
Benefits of Cargo Trailers
These trailers offer excellent benefits, including the following:
- They offer excellent protection from the elements.
- They can give you additional safety and security for cargo.
- They’re highly cost-efficient and affordable compared to some larger models.
- They are capable of dealing with many different conditions and even rough terrain.
- Enclosed trailers offer excellent customization, meaning that many people can affordably purchase these trailers for a wide range of applications.
Utility and Equipment Trailers
Utility trailers are generally small to medium-sized open trailers which are generally similar to flatbed trailers. In many areas, the two terms are essentially interchangeable. Equipment trailers are also a type of flatbed trailer.
Equipment trailers generally have fenders, a floor that sits between the fenders, and some kind of loading system like a loading ramp or tilting floor to enable easy loading and unloading of tools and equipment.
Benefits of Utility Trailers
These trailers offer many benefits, especially to smaller businesses who regularly need to haul heavy equipment. Some examples of these advantages include:
- They’re more affordable than more complex trailers.
- They offer excellent stability and allow individuals to simplify hauling.
- They are versatile and can be used for a wide range of different cargoes and payloads.
- They’re highly efficient and offer increased security.
Tilt Trailers
A tilt trailer is a uniquely designed kind of flatbed trailer. As the name suggests, it is capable of tilting the bed to create a ramp.
By turning the trailer bed into a ramp, it makes it easier to load heavy equipment, wheeled machinery, and other cargo that would be difficult to load otherwise.
Types of Tilt Trailers
There are two different types of tilt trailers. One is the sliding or gravity tilt trailer, the other is the hydraulic or pneumatic tilt trailer.
As the name suggests, the sliding tilt trailer is a manual tilt trailer, relying on gravity to turn the trailer bed into a ramp. Generally, this type of trailer has manual options for setting the angle of the trailer bed, to help get the perfect angle for loading the required cargo.
The hydraulic tilt trailer, on the other hand, uses hydraulic mechanisms to lift the ramp into the required position, minimizing workload and giving you greater control over the resulting angle and stability.
Benefits of Tilt Trailers
This trailer type offers many excellent advantages for those who regularly need to haul heavy, wheeled, or unwieldy cargo. Some of these include the following:
- They facilitate easy loading and unloading
- They reduce the time and manpower needed to transport each load
- They help to distribute loads more evenly
- They improve hauling stability
- They suffer minimal wear and tear when used appropriately
- They offer excellent versatility
Landscaping Trailers
One of the many different trailers is the landscaping trailer. This refers to any kind of trailer used by landscaping companies and generally refers to a type of utility trailer. However, some landscaping companies may prefer to use something like an enclosed, flatbed, or tilt trailer instead.
Benefits of Landscaping Trailers
Depending on the type of trailer that you choose, you may encounter some or all of the following benefits from your landscaping trailer:
- Excellent maneuverability – If you use a gooseneck trailer for your landscaping business, you’ll find that it offers excellent room for maneuvering.
- Protection from the elements – If you use an enclosed trailer, you will find that your equipment remains safe from all kinds of weather conditions.
- Stability and security – Most kinds of landscape trailers offer the stability and security required to safely transport your tools and equipment.
- Efficient loading and offloading – If you opt for something like a tilt trailer, it will facilitate the loading and unloading process significantly, especially in the case of heavy, wheeled machinery like ride-on mowers.
Car and Auto Trailers
As you may have assumed from the name, these trailers have been designed specifically for the transport of cars and automobiles. You may encounter different types of auto trailers, but generally they consist of a ramp and an open or enclosed area for storing a car during transport.
Benefits of Auto Trailers
Auto trailers offer many unique benefits to individuals who regularly need to transport cars and other similar types of vehicles Some of these may include the following:
- They offer a safe and secure way to transport your cars and vehicles.
- Depending on the trailer type that you choose, they can be highly cost effective.
- They make vehicle transport easier and can cut down on the risks and manpower involved in doing so.
- Some car trailers may include living quarters so that the driver has a place to stay when transporting the vehicle on long hauls.
Horse and Livestock Trailers
Livestock and horse trailers play an essential part in many agriculture-linked industries, ranging from ranching to horse racing. As the name suggests, these trailers are specifically designed for the transport of horses and livestock.
Types of Livestock Trailers
Livestock trailers come in many different shapes and forms since there’s no universal fit for all kinds of livestock.
Horse trailers, for instance, are almost fully enclosed and much narrower because horses do better when they can’t see too much of what’s going on during transport. It helps them to remain calmer, and reduces the risk of serious injury. Likewise, the absence of bars prevents them from breaking a leg or causing injury.
Cattle trailers, on the other hand, are just as tall as horse trailers but are generally as open as possible and made with bars. That’s because cattle do better when they get good airflow and can see as much as possible. This design helps keep them calm, and they’re not as likely to stick a leg through the bars, so they don’t have the same risks.
Other types of smaller livestock trailers may be intended for the transport of sheep, goats, and other small animals.
Benefits of Livestock Trailers
The different trailers for transporting livestock offer numerous benefits that simplify the lives of farmers, ranchers, and other livestock enthusiasts. These benefits include the following:
- Versatility: There are livestock trailers for various animals, animal sizes, and applications
- Improved Safety: Livestock trailers help to facilitate the safe transportation of your animals
- Easier Transportation: Livestock trailers make it easier to load and unload various animals
- Protection: Depending on the type of trailer used, many livestock trailers offer the animals protection against the elements during transport
Race Trailers
There are many different trailer types, but none are as suited to transporting race cars as the race trailer. With their thick walls, high levels of customization, and ability to keep race vehicles and equipment safe, these trailers are invaluable.
In essence, the race trailer is a type of cargo trailer, specifically designed for the transport of race vehicles. They may or may not have living areas incorporated into the trailer itself.
Types of Race Trailers
While you may find many small variations within this group of trailers, like hitch type, axel type, and which material it consists of, there are two main categories within this type of trailer.
The first is the enclosed race trailer. It offers excellent security and protection from the elements. In many cases, it also includes living quarters for members of the race team.
Open trailers are far more affordable, but they don’t offer protection from the elements the way an enclosed trailer does. For this reason, open race trailers are more popular with low-budget enterprises and beginners while enclosed trailers are preferred by professional teams.
Benefits of Race Trailers
Race trailers offer an array of benefits to people in the race industry, including the following:
- They offer a high degree of customization, meaning they can be adjusted to suit the needs and desires of different companies and race teams.
- They can be relatively affordable, or more expensive, depending on your budget.
- Enclosed race trailers offer safe, secure transportation and protection from the elements.
- Open race trailers offer affordable, easy transportation for race vehicles.
Aluminum Trailers
While you may not consider this a trailer type as such, aluminum trailers offer many unique benefits that deserve mention. Like gooseneck trailers and pintle trailers, this is a very broad category consisting of many different trailers with a shared characteristic.
Types of Aluminum Trailers
In terms of types, aluminum trailers are a diverse group, as any kind of trailer can be made of this metal. Some of the types that you may encounter include the following:
- Race and auto trailers
- Trailers with living quarters
- Flatbeds and tilt trailers
- Dump Trailers
- Landscaping trailers
In truth, there are few limitations to which trailers can be made of aluminum, making this a large group of trailers.
Benefits of Aluminum Trailers
Aluminum, as a metal, offers many distinct advantages, which is why so many different kinds of trailers consist of it. Some of the benefits include the following:
- They’re lightweight, making them considerably lighter than steel trailers, thereby reducing pulling weight and fuel consumption.
- Aluminum is incredibly durable, including being resistant to rust and corrosion, which makes it ideal for hard-working trailers.
- Aluminum trailers have relatively low maintenance requirements when compared to steel and many other materials.
- As a metal, aluminum does best when combined into an alloy. The alloys used for trailer creation are particularly strong.
- Aluminum trailers often maintain better resale value than those made of other materials.
- This trailer type is often more affordable than those made from other materials.
Other Types of Trailers
In addition to aluminum, trailers may consist of a range of other materials, including steel, material composites, and wood or plywood. Each of these materials offer advantages and disadvantages, but steel and aluminum alloys offer the best of both strength and durability.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are innumerable trailer types to choose from. From the reliability of the standard flatbed to the efficiency of a tilt trailer or the specialized abilities of horse trailers or bunk trailers, each of these trailers is unique and useful.
The key is to understand exactly what you need in a trailer and make your purchase accordingly.
If you already know what you want and you’re ready to make a purchase, feel free to browse our inventory of available trailers or contact us to discuss creating a custom trailer.
Our team of experts has years of experience in the industry and can provide valuable insights and recommendations to ensure you make an informed decision that aligns with your needs.
