Cargo / Utility Trailers

A Trailer is an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Some non-American dialects distinguish a trailer (generally uncovered, used for goods and materials) from a caravan (generally weather-resistant, used for human habitation). more...

Types of trailers

There are five main types of trailer, defined by their axle arrangement and method of combination.

Semitrailer

A semitrailer is supported at its forward end by a fifth wheel (or gooseneck ball) mounted on a truck or dolly and at the rear end by its own wheels

Full trailer

A full trailer is supported by axles front and rear and pulled by the way of a drawbar. In Europe this is also know as A-Frame drawbar trailer.

Simple trailer

A simple trailer is pulled by a drawbar, but has a single set of axles

Travel Trailer

A trailer meant for housing people while camping, towed by a motorized vehicle (e.g. a USA trailer made by Airstream)

A-train

An A-train is a semitrailer pulling a full trailer

B-train

A B-train is a semitrailer pulling another semitrailer

Bicycle trailer

A one or two wheeled trailer pulled by a bicycle.

Freight trailers types

Trailers built for hauling cargo come in different shapes depending on their use.

• Agriculture
  • Corn (double bottom hopper)
  • Grain (hopper / no-hopper, open-tarp top)
  • Livestock (belly or straight)

• Auto carriers (5-car, 9-car, 6-car enclosed)
• Beverage
• Chip/wood product
• Container chassis, designed to carry standard 20 feet and 40 feet containers
• Curtainside / tauntliner - half-flatbed/half van, vans whose sides are made of fabric and can be easily removed enclosed cargo trailers
• Doubles / triples - or "pups"
• Dropdeck – steel and composite
• Dump - aluminum and steel; rear dump (frame or frameless) and bottom dumb
• Extendable - flatbed and drop style
• Flatbed - steel and composite; (can have bulkhead, spread axles)
• Lowboy - (gooseneck) hydraulic detachable and mechanical detachable; flip-up
• Platform
• Pole/logging - a single I-beam frame running the length of the trailer, with two "U" shaped holding arms at each end
• Sliding axle and hydraulic tail (lift) or dove-tail (heavy loads)
• Specialized multi-axle (gooseneck; for extreamly heavy loads)
• Tag
• Tank
  • Tank - asphalt
  • Tank - compressed industrial gas (helium, argon, etc.)
  • Tank - dry bulk (hopper)
  • Tank – petroleum (oil and gasoline; can be chassis tank with pup)
  • Tank – stainless steel (milk; can be sanitary)
• Transfer
• Utility
• Van - (enclosed van, the most common type of trailer-approximately: U.S.-41.7%, essentially a box on wheels)
  • Van - dry freight
  • Van – refrigerated (reefer), insulated vans for the transport of perishable goods
  • Van - single and double drop; moving / furniture van

NOTE: There are many types of vans, vans made of wood, metal and/or fiberglass, smooth or ribbed, generally used for dry goods or equipment transport

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