Trailer (vehicle)
A Trailer is an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Some non-American dialects distinguish a trailer (generally uncovered, used for goods and materials) from a caravan (travel trailer) (generally weather-resistant, used for human habitation).
Types of trailers
There are five main types of trailer, defined by their axle arrangement and method of combination.
A semitrailer is supported at its forward end by a fifth wheel (or gooseneck ball) mounted on a truck or dolly and at the rear end by its own wheels.
Full trailer
A full trailer is supported by axles front and rear and pulled by the way of a drawbar. In Europe this is also know as A-Frame drawbar trailer.
Simple trailer
A simple trailer is pulled by a drawbar, but has a single set of axles
A trailer meant for housing people while camping, towed by a motorized vehicle (e.g. a USA trailer made by Airstream)
A-train
An A-train is a semitrailer pulling a full trailer
(See road train)
B-train
A B-train is a semitrailer pulling another semitrailer
(See Road train)
A one or two wheeled trailer pulled by a bicycle.
Freight trailers types
Trailers built for hauling cargo come in different shapes depending on their use.
- Agriculture
- Corn (double bottom hopper)
- Grain (hopper / no-hopper, open-tarp top)
- Livestock (belly or straight)
- Auto carriers (5-car, 9-car, 6-car enclosed)
- Beverage
- Chip/wood product
- Container chassis, designed to carry standard 20 feet and 40 feet containers
- Curtainside / tauntliner - half-flatbed/half van, vans whose sides are made of fabric and can be easily removed enclosed cargo trailers
- Doubles / triples - or "pups"
- Dropdeck – steel and composite
- Dump - aluminum and steel; rear dump (frame or frameless) and bottom dumb
- Extendable - flatbed and drop style
- Flatbed - steel and composite; (can have bulkhead, spread axles)
- Lowboy - (gooseneck) hydraulic detachable and mechanical detachable; flip-up
- Platform
- Pole/logging - a single I-beam frame running the length of the trailer, with two "U" shaped holding arms at each end
- Sliding axle and hydraulic tail (lift) or dove-tail (heavy loads)
- Specialized multi-axle (gooseneck; for extreamly heavy loads)
- Tag
- Tank
- Tank - asphalt
- Tank - compressed industrial gas (helium, argon, etc.)
- Tank - dry bulk (hopper)
- Tank – petroleum (oil and gasoline; can be chassis tank with pup)
- Tank – stainless steel (milk; can be sanitary)
- Transfer
- Utility
- Van - (enclosed van, the most common type of trailer-approximately: U.S.-41.7%, essentially a box on wheels)
- Van - dry freight
- Van – refrigerated (reefer), insulated vans for the transport of perishable goods
- Van - single and double drop; moving / furniture van
- NOTE: There are many types of vans, vans made of wood, metal and/or fiberglass, smooth or ribbed, generally used for dry goods or equipment transport
Manufacturers
U.S.
- Benson International
- Cargo Mate
- Circle C
- Clark Trailer Service
- Clement Industries
- Danco Trailers
- Double Hitch Company
- East Manufacturing
- Forest River
- Fontaine Trailer
- Globe Trailers
- Great Dane Trailers
- Haultec Trailers
- Hyundai Translead
- Innovative Trailers
- Landoll
- MAC Trailer Manufacturing
- Manac
- Martin Marietta Composites
- Max-Atlas Equip International
- Merritt Equipment
- Ranch Manufacturing
- Reinke Manufacturing
- Reitnouer
- Rogers Brothers
- S and H Trailers
- SmithCo Manufacturing
- Steco
- Stoughton Trailers
- Summit Trailer Sales
- Texas Bragg
- Thru-Way Trailers
- Trail King Industries
- Transcraft
- Travis Body & Trailer
- Trinity Trailer Manufacturing
- Utility Trailer Manufacturing
- Vanguard National Trailer
- W-W Trailers
- Warren Equipment
- Wilkens Manufacturing
- Wilson Trailer
- X-L Specialized Trailers
See also
- Camper
- Semi-trailer
- Truck
- Dolly
- Road train
- Double decker trailer