2018 Truck and Trailer setups

Question for you Bigman509. What are you going to carry? The answer should determine what type of trailer to get. I originally got a deck over. I later got a lowboy which was longer and lighter than the deck over thus increased the amount and type of freight I could get.

 

Yes, it opens you up to other freight that the deck overs can’t get on. Mostly because of ramp angle and deck height. When we put are semi trucks up for sale and bought our first Hotshot set up we had a deck over built with monster style ramps, they didn’t call them monster ramps back then. Lol. I quickly learned it wasn’t what I wanted. So many guys out there were dead heading, or sitting around truck stops for days waiting for loads that had deck overs. You still see that happening today. A deck over and a step deck has approx the same deck height so the deck over is limited to the same freight that they can haul that’s a lot of competition for the same type of freight. I wanted a lower deck height so that I could grab Lite weight double drop freight, or loads that would be to tall for a step deck. Not only that I wanted to be able to easily load long wheel base, and tall vehicles on. I didn’t want to sit around with everybody else trying to get the same freight, I wanted more options, and I also wanted a trailer that weighed less.

I was the first one to order this type of trailer at 40’ and longer, and right away I started telling the Owner Operators that we were dispatching to buy them. At first everybody out there in the Hotshot world laughed at the trailers we were pulling. That laughing didn’t go on very long because they started to notice that while they were sitting around waiting for loads we weren’t . Our Owner Operators don’t sit around here unless they want, or need a break, and our owner Operator always make really good money. A big part of that is because they pull these lowboys. Another reason is because I have a lot of connections with Brokers and Shippers going back 30+ years that have a need for the low profile trailers like we’re pulling. Switching to this style trailer, that didn’t happen by accident. It was the plan all along, it just took me some time to find manufacturers willing to build them for us in the lengths that we wanted them in.

 

I’m not aware of any diagram out there but you’re on the right track as far as thinking about being able to haul lots of different types of freight. Thinking outside the box can make a positive difference.

 

Flatbed,
How much are you paying for over length permits? I like the 3 axle set-up. I imagine it rides, and pulls better than tandem duals?

I'd like to add that mega ramps with dovetail will hang up in a hurry. I bought a 35ft and it's been more of a pain than anything.

 

No need for a over length permit with our trucks and trailers. Our crew cab 3500's hooked to our 40' lowboys are just under 65'. And with our cab n chassis trucks, they can be as long as any semi truck on the road.

And yes, In my opinion they do ride better than deck overs with tandem duals. Trailer weighs less than most deck overs, and that forward axle takes some weight off the drive axle.

 

PumpkinNuts, if you're thinking about ordering, or buying a trailer like ours somewhere, make sure the neck is not 8' . Back in 2010 these crew cabs got longer due to the back seat area getting larger. When that happened we had the manufacturer shorten the necks to make sure we didn't go over 65'. Just thought I'd warn you incase you're thinking about buying one.

 

I love Gatorade trailer. But... just get one that has a torque tube. I have a EW trailer. Love it.

 

My first trailer was a GATORMADE