SEMI LiveStock Trailer Advice

We are a hog farm looking at starting to do our own hog hauling as we have gotten big enough to haul a load every day of the week, 5 triple deck loads a week, (1 every week day). Plus we have an extra free truck (KW900L) that only works 2 days a week on weekends moving feed that I would like to put to work during the week. Up until now we have had the trucking done by another company with a triple deck pot (2 full decks plus the belly deck)


Question is what trailers to look at, looking at cheapest haul $ per hog, trailer capacity is not really important cause I can always fill a trailer or hire it done for any extra loads. The bottom line is cheapest $ per hog shipped and get my spare truck running through the week, so we are looking at fuel and man hours really plus the extra variable costs from running extra Miles.


My first intention was to get a new triple deck in which can hold on avg 215-220 hogs here but from my understanding from others is that they are a hard pull, and I was suggested to look at double deck 53 foot with horizontally slated sides which can hold 180-190 because apparently the extra fuel efficiency will make the trucking cost = per hog to a triple deck plus there are rumours that the CFIA wants to ban belly decks because of heat stress in the summer and getting airflow through 3 decks esp in the bottom belly is challenging to reduce stress (less stress = better meat quality)

I have no experience hauling livestock with semis so I am looking for people with experience with the different trailer styles that could share and compare fuel costs and other costs between the two types of trailers. BTW Its a 7 hours of driving round trip 6 of which are interstate.

 

$7 a hog is the going rate