Questions About Lowboy Work - Tractors and Equipment

I am planning to get into the lowboy business. I have some customers already but don't have a trailer ( and am not ready for one yet).

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I have 3 questions 1. What make of lowboy trailer should I stay away from (and why)?

2. Do I need to carry dollar for dollar cargo insurance? If I plan to haul a $230,000 machine do I need to carry at least that much in cargo insurance?

3. I have a 98 CH with a 427 and 40,000 lb rear. It is set up for a lowboy ( 2line wet kit, rear frame crossmember support). The heaviest machine I might haul weighs about 80,000 lbs. With a 50 ton lowboy is my tractor suited to do this type of hauling??? Thanks, Rob w.

Nobody likes to tell someone else how to run their business,

but I'll give you a reply.

I see three things that you could improve on -

One: I'm not sure how you can possibly go into the equipment hauling business

without a trailer. Plan on a minimum of $50k., probably more for a new, inexpensive

detachable 30 ton unit. And, very soon, you'll need a drop-deck flat trailer and a 50 ton lowboy.

Two: Talk to your insurance man about insurance. That's what they're for.

Three: The tractor sounds adequate for most work up to 80,000 lbs., but the trailer

type and design plays a big part in the equation. Think about it.

I'm sticking my neck out a little bit here - but it sounds to me like you might want to

do some more homework before jumping in.

Trucking today is not the hook-em-up, move-em-out business that some people think

it is. New tractors are routinely over $100k, and new trailers can easily reach that mark too.

I don't need to tell you that fuel at $5.00/gallon and tires at $300 to $400/each are probably

not going to get any cheaper. (And by the way - in the lowboy business - you eat a lot of tires).

And then there is the government. Around every turn, some member of the DOT, State Police,

DEC, IRS, Fuel Apportionment and thousands of others are going to try to ruin your day.

Every business, no matter what kind, needs a business plan. A well thought out and written

document of how you plan to handle all of the known obstacles. Because there a thousand unknown

obstacles that will find you when you least expect it. The business plan is the Bible of any good business.

The capital sin of most new businessmen is too little planning.

Be Careful and Be Smart.

Paul Van Scott

In my aera Lowboy work is the ideal way to make mony inthe construction bizz. Dump trucks can make steady cash but the lowboy makes more hour for hour of work.

Depending on the state or who you work for will determin the min amount of coverage needed. You likely need to add cargo insurance to your policy as you are now hauling "cargo".

The truck sounds set up for most lowboy work is it double framed? thats a bonus if so. You need to know what type of machines you will be primarly moving. Some lowboys have deeper and longer decks that may be needed for clearance of certain machines. a 20" deck may be to short for some machines so make shure you ask the customers what they have. from what I see in my aera a used lowboy ranges from 20K and up, New they are around 40K and up. The gooseneck diffrences in trailers can make life easy or hard on you depending on the set up. You will possibly find air or manual pin latching and block hight adjustments. just look at the little diffrences.

good luck

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from longyong.

Trent Blasco

Rob,

If you are going to buy a trailer, I would go with a Rogers, Talbert, Fontaine, or Trail King. I would stay away from most everything else. In my opinion, Loaded deck height and length of the well are most important. You can fit just about everything in a trailer with 24' of open well, including 40 ton articulated trucks, but 25' to 26' would be better without getting too long. In a level deck, try to get one with 20" loaded deck height. Here in NJ, there are tons of low bridges and every inch is a mile. Also remember that most 45 Metric Ton excavators actually weigh around 110,000 lbs., so you would be over capacity on a 50 ton trailer, which is why they build so many 55 tonners now. The "boom trough" at the back of the trailer is also key, but that can be modified later.

Also, 40,000lb. rears are a little light for lowboy work. In my opinion, even is too light, but I am used to heavy spring suspension. I would rather have a truck with alot of ass then one without enough. Horsepower is no substitute for a heavy built truck.

Good Luck!

John

What is a lowbed semi trailer? What should we pay attention to when buying a lowbed semi trailer? Why are the prices of lowbed semi trailers different? I believe that many customers have a lot of doubts about lowbed semi trailers. Today I will use YUHANG 3 axle lowbed trailer to answer these questions.

What is a lowbed semi trailer?

Lowbed semi trailers refer to heavy-duty trailers with a low load-bearing platform and the ability to transport large construction machinery and equipment. This type of semi trailer is usually used to transport heavy machinery or vehicles, such as: excavators, bulldozers, pavers, cranes, forestry machinery, mining equipment, special vehicles and other heavy-duty goods. The lower the center of gravity of a lowbed semi trailer, the better its stability and safety performance, and the stronger its ability to transport large or ultra-high cargo. The lowbed trailers designed and produced by our factory have very obvious advantages over other suppliers in transporting large cargo. YUHANG VEHICLE’s lowbed semi trailer is not only your choice but your best choice.

Among them, lowbed semi trailers are mainly sold in three different types of design structures, and they have a wide range of applications. The details are as follows: straight lowbed semi trailer, RGN detachable gooseneck trailer, and concave-beam lowbed trailer.

Straight lowbed semi trailer

The entire cargo loading platform is straight, above the wheels. The upper space of the overlapping portion of the tractor and trailer is fully utilized, giving it a larger cargo platform area. This kind of trailer has a relatively simple design structure and a short manufacturing cycle. It is mostly used to transport medium and heavy goods, with a load capacity of 30-90 tons. YUHANG factory can also produce expandable lowbed trailer, which can be used to transport extra-long goods, such as: wind turbine blades and have multiple functions.

RGN detachable gooseneck trailer

This RGN detachable gooseneck trailer is also known as the detachable gooseneck lowboy trailer. The cargo loading platform is behind the gooseneck, making it possible to lower the center of gravity of the main cargo platform by adjusting the height of the “fifth wheel.” RGN detachable gooseneck trailers are mostly used to transport crawler machinery and equipment, loaders, cranes, etc. YUHANG removable gooseneck lowboy trailer is the best partner for your transportation needs, it is famous for its high load capacity from 60 tons to 180 tons.

Concave beam lowbed trailer

Our concave-beam lowbed trailer cargo platforms are recessed, with the load-bearing surface having the lowest height from the ground. This kind of vehicle is suitable for transporting precision instruments or overlong, overwide, and overweight items. The groove design of the bottom beam can lower the center of gravity, increase the stability of the vehicle, and reduce overturning during steering. It can adopt a variety of unloading methods, such as: rear unloading, side unloading, etc. The flexible design makes the unloading process more convenient and faster, improving logistics efficiency.

What are the main considerations?

If you buy a cheap but low-quality lowbed semi trailer, you will spend a lot of time and money repairing it. The tractor is already costing you tens of thousands of dollars, so you’re better off investing in a better quality lowbed trailer.

1. Use and cutting of steel plates

YUHANG 3 axle lowbed semi trailer use higher-strength Q345B steel plates, which makes the main beams of our trailers thicker, with higher load-bearing capacity, better stability, and longer service life. At the same time, we use plasma cutting technology, which will greatly protect the toughness of the steel and ensure the original load-bearing performance of the lowbed trailer.

2. Welding of the frame

The importance of welding equipment for lowbed trailers is self-evident. We choose the most advanced robot welding technology in the industry. This is tighter and stronger than the traditional manual welding process and will not crack, especially when driving on poor road conditions and will not reduce the practical performance of the trailer.

3. Reasonable structural design

The normal use of lowbed semi trailers first benefits from its reasonable design structure. This requires comprehensive consideration of road conditions, loading platform height, legal regulations and load levels at the customer’s location. Experienced technical engineers will design the ideal platform height above the ground based on the type of cargo transported by the customer and the road conditions to ensure that the lowbed semi trailer has good passability.

4. Shot blasting and rust removal process

After all parts of the lowbed semi trailer are welded, shot blasting and rust removal is an essential step. Shot blasting removes oxides from the metal surface and improves the appearance quality of the trailer. The high-speed moving shot materials continuously impact the surface of the metal workpiece, crushing the oxide scale and rust spots attached to the surface and completely falling off. The shot blasting and rust removal process can improve the curvature and torsional fatigue strength of parts, improve stress corrosion and improve the adhesion of paint.

5. Branded parts

Our tri axle low bed truck trailer use world-renowned brand components such as WABCO brake valves, JOST landing gear, FUWA axles, and triangular tires. Every high-quality component ensures that the trailer can operate safely and stably for a long time.

Why are the prices of lowbed semi trailers different?

Different dimensions (such as: length, width, height, etc.) of the same type of lowbed semi trailer will result in different effective loading volumes and vehicle weights of the trailer. This is caused by the processing materials of the semitrailer. Prices vary depending on the strength grade of the steel used.

Different brands of accessories will directly lead to price differences. For example, the prices of tires of different brands will be different, the air chambers of different materials, the air chambers between aluminum alloy and ordinary carbon steel will also be different, and the prices of axles of different brands vary greatly.

Then there is the choice of ABS. There is also a certain gap between the prices of well-known domestic brands and those of imported brands. In fact, considering the safety of driving, I recommend that all drivers choose carefully.

And all the lighting combinations for the entire vehicle. There are waterproof and ordinary ones on the market, and the side taillights also have LED and ordinary configurations. Of course, the costs are also different.

Even lowbed semi trailers with the same materials and configurations come from different manufacturers. Even if the same processing technology is used, the price will be different because the market positioning, brand value and operating costs of different manufacturers are also different. All in all, under a reasonable price mechanism, every price equals quality.

Want more information on Lowbed Semi Trailer? Feel free to contact us.