Ordering My First Trailer!

Never been to the Landstar board. My trailer is a 48 combination Stepdeck. I chose this trailer because I get more OD loads. Not sure how much pipe and steel you get for a flat versus step. Just get load levelers. I stay busy year round and only run maybe 15 loads per year of legal steel plate, coil or pipe.

 

order a 53ft step,,,10ft top deck with a 10ft spread axle set up to have a sliding rear axle so you can meet different king pin to reax axle laws,,
stick with the 22.5 x 255-70 tires,the 17.5 donut tires are expensive and don't hold up,,

avoid aluminum,,side rails and spools break,,apitong deck 14 sliding ratchets on the bottom deck on one side 4 sliding rachets on the other side as well 2 on the top, very impartant make sure that you have ABS on all axles and order auto tire inflation, air gauges on the air bags with a dump valve..as far as storage boxes get what you need...a nice options in s chain and rachet storage box on the floor,,,beats dragging cahins to your headache rack.
with a step usually you find loads that fit the bottom deck and use the top for LTLs and when you fall of the trailer it is not far to the ground

Later if you want you can get ramps and risers,,
I prefer doonan,,make a quality trailer bend over backwards for warranty and let you use any shp for warranty repairs, their warranty is 5 years bumper to bumper,.Steel is ok because most of the time you wwill be under 80,000#

Don't by XL they fight you and take for every if you have a warranty problem..

Doonan also has a high resale value and good electrical wiring system,,, Call the doonan factory speek to them they are great people,,treat you like you are an important customer.

here was my doonan

 

I think the steps are more versatile , can Cary taller items ect. And like was said if need b you could add frames to support long steel or pipe. Just my .02¢

 

my understanding it 8 or 10 on the top. all of ours are 10.6.

nice thing about 48's. no kinpin laws to deal with.

get plenty of dunnage. you can use those as load levelors. and turn your step into a flat. for those long loads. you want good hard wood though. or you can just buy actual levelors, but they are pricey. i used to get a lot of loads that sat on the top deck. but was too long. i had to use a levelor for the top deck overhang. and 35 foot strap.

step gives you flexibility to haul tall loads. such as machinery. there are pvc shippers that sometimes prefer a step. they can haul more product. but you do need 35 foot straps. there are ways to improvise for the 35 foot straps though. you can also buy ramps for those occasional loads that do seem to pop up when there's nothing else worth hauling.

only you can decide. as only you know what you haul. yes there's more flatbed loads. but when the load requires a step. the rate is usually better. in most cases.

if you can price one with chains in the bed. those are really nice for chain securement. over using the rub rail. when your hauling loads that require chains.

 

With a step you're missing out on dock loaded material. With a flat, you're missing out on ramp loaded machines. Pick whichever you prefer loading more.

 

With the tail lights on the Fontaine all aluminum trailers I would think to always carry extra lights, I can imagine a tail light going out and having fun trying to find one. Maybe, totally wrong but those tail lights always stand out to me when I see them. Good luck with whatever route you go and congrats.

 

My trailer has 10 on top and 38 bottom. Tandem axle, the rear axle did slide, I just had a bracket installed and the axle is now bolted in placed. I have never had to slide my rear axle since I bought the trailer so now I can't. I hope it will save on the tire wear. I have 245-70r-19.5 tires. I only use new tires. Recaps will come apart during the months of July and August. Maybe 10 loads a year do I max my weight. I do use 6"x7" timbers for load levelers. I have a 20" drop. The last three years I have hauled a lot of 60' and 65' long steel beams and piling.
I once had a load break thru my trailer bed between the axles, so I removed the aluminum plank from the front axle to rear of trailer and replaced all aluminum rail and deck with steel. When not hauling the long steel I leave my timbers at home, they weigh 700 pounds for the 9 pieces. Good luck with your new trailer.
My trailer rides 40" from the top of lower deck to ground. I do lower it to 36" to avoid getting permits sometimes with a light load or high pole escorts.

 

Well, you'd do just as well with a flat out of Indianapolis IMO. I have a 53' stepdeck combo. you go through spells where everything you see you think you want a flat, or a low-pro step, or a three axle, etc... None of them can haul everything. levelers can help in a pinch, but if the long stuff isn't rigid you still need a flat, some customers just demand flatbed's only. I don't really care for hauling heavy beams and things on levelers, and if you have to tarp it's a PITA. Another consideration is weight, I see you are looking at all aluminum (Revolution is all aluminum, right ?) So I dunno what your truck weighs but that may help you, usually 48k loads are cheap but it can get you out of bad spots and keep you moving if you can handle 48k or more, part of the reason I'm considering a flatbed. you with Landstar ? I think they're kind of heavy on stepdeck capacity so that could work two ways, one they have lot's of steps so prolly go for lots of stepdeck freight, two the flat only loads they have may be up for grabs a little more.