Used Lowboy Semi Trailers – Ground Bearing or Non Ground Bearing Trailers

Lowboys are excellent semi-trailers for hauling heavy loads or oversized loads. Lowboys provide a low ride height that puts higher loads under the laws of bridges and low-hanging street lights or power lines. Lowboy trailers come in a variety of sizes, but most are 48 or 53 feet long. The type of well and the length of the lowboy trailers are critical as they determine what size and type of equipment can be transported. Well lengths for lowboy trailers can range from as little as 20 feet to 30 feet. Extendable lowboys can add even more length to the well for an extraordinarily long load. Some wells may have bridges in the middle or flats or boom wells on the rear axles, so it is essential that the type of well is matched to the type of equipment you will be loading. Most lowboy trailers will be 102 inches wide, but have outriggers or slide outs along the side that can make the width of the trailer wider to help haul wider loads with wheels or tracks. Most lowboy trailers do not come with winches on the sides, and truckers use chains and tethers to secure the load being carried on the trailer. Generally, most lowboy trailers are made of steel frame, steel cross beams, and a steel exterior construction with wood floors. Lowboy trailers come in a mix of different axle variations, from tandem to tri, quad and more. Drop axles, jeeps, and thrusters are common accessories that help the lowboy trailer carry larger and heavier loads. Some heavy duty lowboys may have multiple axles, jeeps, thrusters, spreader bars, neck extensions, and other attachments to help with hauling heavier cargo. Lowboys have many different neck variations to help with loading and unloading equipment. Mechanical detachable lowboys have a locking system that is manually engaged and disengaged with a system of locking pins, levers, pawls, shackles, and semi-trailer assist.

Lowboys are also manufactured as hydraulic detachable lowboy trailers that mainly come in two different styles: floor bearing lowboys and non-floor bearing lowboys. Floor lowboys are relatively self-explanatory. The hydraulic cylinders use the ground to push to raise and lower the height of the lowboy, as well as to connect and disconnect the neck of the semitrailer. If you see a low bed trailer that has hydraulic rams that use the ground below it to push the trailer up and down, then it is a low bed bed. Lowboys that cannot support the ground have hydraulics that do not use the ground to push. These lowboys push the trailer or work with the trailer’s fifth wheel to connect and disconnect to load and unload the trailer.

Many different types of lowboys work, connect and disconnect in different ways depending on how the manufacturer has designed the process of attaching and detaching the neck of the lowboys. Hydraulically detachable lowboy trailers work with a wet line kit that is attached to the trailer or a pony motor system that is attached to the trailer to assist with connections.

Lowboys are rated in different capacity variations of 35 tons, 50 tons, 60 tons, and a much higher tonnage rating. The price of these higher capacity rated trailers can be very expensive. You pay for what you get in life, and semitrailers and trailers are the same. If you’re buying a high-capacity lowboy in the twenty thousand dollar range or less, then he’s probably old and in need of a little tenderness, love, and care.

There are many places to buy a lowboy trailer online. As you shop, you need to make sure it is the right trailer to meet your hauling needs. Capacity, shaft length, wheelbase, GVWR, GAWR, swing clearance, cross member spacing, ground clearance, platform height, demountable configuration, and many other factors can be important factors in your ability to run loads effectively and generate income. If you don’t know what exactly you need, then it might be good to call other lowboy trucking companies and humbly ask for advice. You can also call lowboy dealers or manufacturers to clarify the specifications you will need to legally haul your target loads. You can also call permitting companies for advice on what type of trailer is required to legally pull specific types of cargo. As well as reading various online sites or forums to get help from other experienced traders. Quality lowboy trailers can be very expensive, so doing research could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of time and headaches before you buy rather than after you buy.