Buying a trailer

[Jorg81]

I’m looking to buy a flatbed trailer. If anyone has any advice on the best place to buy one I could use it. I’m also not sure if I get should go for a 48 foot or 53 foot. I was told that most flat better go with 48 feet but I’m not sure if that is true or not. I don’t really want to spend much more than $20,000 if I don’t have to and if I could do a lot better than that that would be even better

[Chamberpains]

I found mine on truckpaper.com
I drove 600 miles away for a good deal on a Reitnouer. You can find a lot of trailer under $20,000. Mine was in the 30k range but I wanted something specific and I like the all aluminum stuff and everything is bolted together for easier replacement.

What size you want is all up to how flexible or versatile you want to be with the freight you haul. I haul anything that you can put on a trailer so I went with a 51'. I didn't want the long tail over hang of s 53' for fear of bending the tail while driving equipment on to it. I also wanted to haul longer and more bulky loads and machinery. So 48' was too short. Also I hate bulkheads because they get in the way of things. But for safety reasons they're nice to have. I use a headache rack for equipment storage and safety.
I can tell you there is plenty of 48' flatbed freight. But the more things you can haul on the trailer the less likely you get stuck somewhere looking for good freight. Also the equipment you carry to secure and cover freight with also open up options. It all in what your willing to do.

[Kid Rock]

Do see if you can get one with a sliding axle. So on light loads you can keep the spread closed and tear less of the tires up.

[Jorg81]

I’m thinking about just leading a trailer to start for now do I can save more and have more time to find the right trailer. I’m looking to make a switch pretty quickly though from leasing on to a company to working under my fathers authority so I just need a trailer. Anyone know of a good place to lease or rent a trailer from. I know I can’t with extra because they require you to have a fleet, but I’m sure their must be places that will rent a single flatbed trailer

[Chamberpains]

Bowman trailer rental and leasing. In PA and MD. I think you can get them for a month at a time.
Why don't you rent the trailer thru your fathers authority if you need a fleet to go thru Xtra leasing?

[hhow55]

When I was doing flatbed from 2012 to 2014, I had a 45' tandem flatbed. To be honest, I missed very few load's I could not haul, and I mean like 3-4 total.I would also suggest getting yourself a combo flat, for weight consideration. I hauled pipe, lumber, mulch, onions, steel, brick's, drilling mud, tarps, and other thing's I can't think of. A 48' flat will serve your purpose well. I liked the idea of the tandem, because it allowed me to go into Canada, for the high paying load's at the time. And yes I back hauled from Canada to the states

[stevesparts]

1st:what is your main thing that your going to be hauling??/ then go from there.
I have a 50 ft Reitnouer and haul a lot of 60/65 ft beams and always heavy:( so the 50 ft works well for me. and i can move the weight around well on it. So think of what you going to be doing with it. if its just lumber/roofing, or standard type stuff then 48 is the ticket but if your going to be doing stuff that needs room(hay or pipe) then go with a 53 ft but what ever you get try to get a lift axle if you get a spread that way you will get better tire wear/mileage when you deadhead or get a light load.:)
but go with what you want, just try to keep the weight down on it so you got some wiggle room ie: 48,000lbs load and your 32,400 mt weight....and it never weighs what they say:)

[Jorg81]

(07-20-2018 )stevesparts Wrote:  1st:what is your main thing that your going to be hauling??/ then go from there.
I have a 50 ft Reitnouer and haul a lot of 60/65 ft beams and always heavy:( so the 50 ft works well for me. and i can move the weight around well on it. So think of what you going to be doing with it. if its just lumber/roofing, or standard type stuff then 48 is the ticket but if your going to be doing stuff that needs room(hay or pipe) then go with a 53 ft but what ever you get try to get a lift axle if you get a spread that way you will get better tire wear/mileage when you deadhead or get a light load.:)
but go with what you want, just try to keep the weight down on it so you got some wiggle room ie: 48,000lbs load and your 32,400 mt weight....and it never weighs what they say:)

Honestly, I do not know what I’m going to be hauling yet for the most part. Flatbed is going to be completely new to me, but my father thinks it’s the best way to go. Course he’s been doing it for a while already, and his revenue is always higher than mine because of it. One thing we might be hauling is non-hazmat totes of chemicals but other than that, It is yet to be seen what we will be hauling. Which I think is another good reason not to buy my trailer yet, but to rent one and see where it goes and then I’ll have a better idea of what trailer to buy depending on what I end up wanting to haul