opinions on what is the best flatbed trailer out there?

Aluminum, Spread, MAC is a great trailer, I like my Benson because it's lite and strong.
I had a Ravens and was completely unimpressed with it although since Fontaine bought them out the result seems to be pretty good from what I've heard.

 

Flatbed logistics of our company run Westerns lately...before that was Alloys, but those were a lot heavier. What do you think of Westerns?

 

Westerns are good trailers...The guy I'm leased to has a few and they seem to be solid trailers.

 

I have a friend who likes East flats. Another likes Western. It depends on what you want to do with your trailer. I prefer steel or a combo rather than an all aluminum trailer. There are pros and cons to both. Reitenour makes a good trailer. Great Dane and Transcraft also make good trailers. I don't care for aluminum trailers because they have a tendency to crack around the suspension. If something is broken it is also difficult to find someone who can weld it. Steel is much easier to have repaired and usually don't have some of the same problems of getting stress cracks around the suspension. I have friends who prefer aluminum. Aluminum is lighter than steel, but I have not usually had a problem loading a steel trailer. I only own steel trailers. I don't think that giving up some weight is worth the extra cost of buying aluminum.

 

Mac, hands down without question. Aluminum is stronger, lighter and never needs paint. By the time you pay to have a steel or even a combo trailer sandblasted and painted you almost paid for an aluminum trailer. You can do it yourself if your time is free and you really love to paint.

Oh and don't buy a Transcraft (transcrack) at any price.

 

An aluminum trailer can easily cost $10-15,000 more than a steel trailer. A steel trailer can be sandblasted and painted for $2-3,000. I am also not sure that aluminum is stronger than steel. Steel usually doesn't crack around the suspension unless there is rust present. It is common for aluminum trailers to get stress cracks, especially around the suspension on those spread axles. It is more a matter of personal preference. I might consider an aluminum trailer at some point, but I think that it would be better to buy steel because of the problem with stress cracks on aluminum. The biggest drawback to steel is that you need to do some maintenance on the wooden floor. It is necessary to treat them a couple of times a year to make the floors resist the weather. Aluminum doesn't require any additional maintenance unless you need to weld cracks. That can get expensive and it can also be challenging to find someone who knows how to weld aluminum.

 

Unless you know how to shop and negotiate the price.

How many times will you have to do that during the life of the trailer?

So I've heard...But my 10 year old Benson has no cracks. My 10 year old Ravens never cracked and the guy that has it now still has no problems with it.

Aluminum trailers will crack if they are abused...

If a driver makes a U-turn with a spread axle and a heavy load and no dump valve it puts an unbelievable amount of stress on a trailer and they can and will crack.
Most O/O's that I know are smart enough to not do #### like that and therefore will never have a problem with a cracked trailer.

The biggest drawback with a steel trailer is WEIGHT!

I agree with you that aluminum trailers aren't for everyone....But in the hands of a competent operator they are great and the weight savings alone is worth the additional cost of the trailer, Not to mention the elimination of unecessary maintanence such as Painting, Treating/Replacing wood floors and constantly fighting rust.

For an O/O an aluminum trailer is a sound investment but for a company with the "It's not mine" attitude that the vast majoity of company drivers have, It's probably not a very good idea.

 

I like my 2000 alum spread Ravens, its bin an awsome trailer no cracks or issues of any kind and after 10 years still has the origanal arch and i load it heavy. Had a 05 spead alum Manac and i did not like it sold it as fast as i could. Alot of air valve and light issues. I've owned alot of flats and the only one i would truely stay away from is the Transjunk, i mean Transcraft. You will get 1,000 diffrent answers on this because everyone likes something diffrent. What might be junk to others someone else might love.

 

I have a 2001 Wilson I bought new. The paint is still good with no rust, no other problems with it. Heard good things about Manac.