Trailer Types
Your guide to the right trailer.
The right trailer makes a big difference in haul trucking. From flat deck trailers for heavy equipment and oversized loads to specialized truck trailers or enclosed vans, we offer a variety of options to meet your specific transportation needs. Our scalable carrier network is designed to provide flexibility and reliability, ensuring your freight is handled with care and delivered with no delays or surprises. No matter the size or complexity of your shipment, we’ve got the right trailer to get it where it needs to go.
Every trailer to suit your shipment.
It’s hard to know what to look for in a trailer choice, especially if you’re not familiar with terminology and regulations. If you’ve got questions, reach out and let us know.
Dry van trailers are the most common type of trailer used today, being especially useful for shipping boxed, loose, or palletized goods.
They’re usually 48 or 53 feet long, enclosed for cargo protection, and well-suited for loading docks. With a maximum weight capacity of 42,000–45,000 pounds, they’re not built for oversized or heavy industrial loads, but dry vans are still among the most cost-effective and versatile shipping solution.
They generally have a lower cost per mile than open-deck trailers.
Standard flatbed trailers are a very common and extremely versatile option for hauling goods like steel, lumber, and construction equipment.
Available in a variety of lengths (24 to 48 feet), with a maximum freight height and width 8.5 feet, they can carry up to 48,000 lbs at a height of 5 feet.
Unlike enclosed dry vans, flatbeds are open and loadable on all sides, making them ideal for oversized or irregularly shaped loads (with proper permits) which are then tied or chained down – but those loads are also exposed to the elements along the route.
Refrigerated trailers, or reefers, are specialized for transporting temperature-sensitive goods like produce, pharmaceuticals, and food items.
With insulated walls and temperature control systems, they are the only trailers suitable for perishable cargo. Reefers share a similar weight capacity to dry vans (42,000–45,000 pounds), but slightly smaller internal dimensions due to insulation. They can also be used as dry vans when temperature control isn’t needed, and depending on the cargo inside, additional transport regulations may apply (i.e., biohazard materials).
Shipping rates for reefers fluctuate quite a bit based on location and season.
Drop-deck (or step-deck) trailers are a popular alternative to flatbeds for hauling taller freight. They feature an upper and lower deck, allowing for a maximum legal freight height of up to 10 feet, 2 inches, higher than a standard flatbed.
With a lower deck height of about 3.5 feet, they’re ideal for transporting items like agricultural and construction equipment. A typical 53-foot trailer will have a 10-foot upper deck and 43-foot lower deck, with a total weight capacity of around 46,000 pounds.
Step decks can also be permitted for oversize loads.
Double-drop trailers, also known as lowboys, are designed to haul especially tall freight thanks to their ultra-low deck, created by two height drops.
Typically, there’s a length of 29 feet between the wheels, where you can legally carry cargo up to 11.5 feet in height (or more, depending on location) before permits may be needed. Though ideal for oversized items like industrial or farm equipment, their profile means they have a lower weight capacity than flatbeds or step-decks – usually around 38,000 pounds.
They can be permitted for heavier loads as long as it’s in a single piece.
Hot shot trailers are small, low-lying flatbeds pulled by Class 3 to 6 pickup trucks, eliminating the need for a semi-tractor.
They’re generally 30-40 feet long and under 3.5 feet high, making them ideal for short-distance, cost-effective freight hauling. This portability comes with a sacrifice, though: a maximum weight capacity around 16,500 pounds and height limits around 10 feet (depending on location).
Hot shot trailers are most often used for rapid transport of small loads that don’t require a full-size flatbed.
Conestoga trailers are specialized open-deck trailers with a sliding canopy system that protects freight from weather without using traditional tarps. Ideal for cargo with sharp edges or sensitive surfaces, they’re most often used in highly precise industries like aerospace and energy.
Conestogas are available in flatbed, step-deck, and double-drop configurations, typically 48–53 feet long, and max out around 42,000–45,000 pounds.
While more expensive than standard open-deck trailers, they offer a safer, more efficient alternative to tarping and are growing in popularity.
Curtainside trailers are weather-protected trailers with solid top, front, and rear panels, and flexible tarp sides, making them ideal for cargo that needs shielding from the elements.
Unlike Conestogas, they can only be loaded from the back or sides. They’re a standard length of around 48-53 feet, carrying up to 40,000–43,000 pounds of freight.
Curtainsides offer a strong alternative to dry vans and Conestogas, especially for shipments requiring quick side-loading and full weather protection.
Extendable drop-deck trailers are designed for hauling exceptionally long freight, with a midsection that extends from 38 to 65 feet.
They can legally carry cargo up to 10–11 feet high (depending on location) and have a maximum weight capacity of 43,000 pounds.
This extendability makes them a good choice for oversized loads like massive machinery or extra-long raw materials, which may exceed the length and height limits of standard trailers.
Removable gooseneck trailers are versatile trailers designed for hauling large, driveable machinery and equipment. Their key feature is a detachable gooseneck that lowers the trailer front to the ground, creating a ramp for easy loading and unloading without cranes or forklifts.
Available in various sizes and configurations, standard RGNs typically have two or three axles, a length limit of 30 feet, and they can carry up to 38,000 pounds legally (with permits allowing up to 55,000–65,000 pounds), and accommodate cargo up to 11.5 feet high. They share many characteristics with double-drop trailers.
Expandable RGN trailers solve well-space limitations by extending up to 50 feet, making them ideal for hauling extra-long and oversize freight.
Their weight capacity varies widely based on axle count: from 38,000 pounds with 2-3 axles to 150,000+ pounds with a dozen axles or more.
There are still more trailer types that are less commonly used, but may be available depending on your needs:
- Intermodal trailers can switch between truck and train transport.
- Super B trailer setups have two trailers attached, generally a 32-foot lead and a 28-foot secondary.
- Auto haulers are low-profile, utilitarian trailers meant for hauling passenger vehicles.
- And more…
It’s hard to know what to look for in a trailer choice, especially if you’re not familiar with terminology and regulations. If you’ve got questions, reach out and let us know.
