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How to Classify Types of Freight Trailers?

Whether you have a load that needs to be hauled or are the carrier who will be delivering the load, it is essential that you choose the right freight trailer for the job. There are several types of freight trailers, including dry vans, refrigerated vans, flatbed trailers, tankers, lowboy trailers and more. Each of these trailer types is best for hauling certain types of cargo from one place to another.

Dry Vans And Refrigerated Trailers

A dry van trailer is the type of trailer you are most likely to see behind a highway tractor when you are travelling on major roadways. These trailers look like large boxes. A dry van is used to transport general freight such as clothing, canned food and auto parts. Van trailers are great for hauling items that can be stacked onto pallets. The trailer is completely enclosed so that the freight is not damaged by the weather. A refrigerated van, or reefer, is a type of dry van that has a cooling unit attached to it so that everything inside the trailer will stay cold during transport. Reefers are commonly used to haul grocery items that are likely to spoil if they get too hot. You don’t need any special endorsements on your CDL to haul freight in a dry van or reefer trailer.

Flatbed Trailers

Flatbed trailers are another type of freight trailer that is used often to haul various goods on the highways and freeways. These trailers consist of a flat deck that is often eight feet wide and 48 feet long. Flatbeds are commonly used to haul freight that is too big to fit into a dry van. They are also used for transporting machinery and building materials. The freight must be secured to the deck with straps or chains so that it is unable to move during transport. Tarps may be secured over a flatbed load if the freight is likely to be damaged by rain or snow.

Types of flatbeds include drop-decks and lowboys. These trailers differ from standard flatbed trailers because they have decks that are lower to the ground, making it easier to load machinery and construction equipment that is very heavy. Hauling freight on a flatbed trailer is generally more labor intensive than hauling in a dry van because the load must be secured properly.

Dump Trailers

A dump trailer is a type of freight trailers that are mostly used in the construction industry. These trailers are commonly used to haul building materials such as gravel, rock and sand that is used to create a road or prepare the ground for a building. They are also used for hauling produce from large farms. Special types include belly-dumps, end-dumps and side-dumps. These trailers are equipped with hydraulic lifts that dump the load from the end, side or bottom of the trailer at the push of a button. You can haul these trailers without special endorsements on your CDL unless you are hauling two dump trailers at the same time, which requires a doubles endorsement on your CDL.

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Chris Winters
Chris Winters
6 years ago

I can see why refrigerated trailers would be useful when hauling groceries. I can see how they would be essential to keep all of the perishables fresh. I wonder if they can alter the temperature for frozen goods.


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