Let's talk trailers!

From goosenecks to lowboys, the lingo of specialized trailers is unique to say the least. But don’t let the names fool you, these mighty haulers are credited with getting cranes, vessels and all the rigging parts inbetween where they need to go, on time and in tip-top shape. Whether it’s down the block or cross-country, countless construction projects would be unsuccessful without this MVP machine.

ACT reached out to specialized trailer manufacturers across the industry for an update on their newest products.

XL Specialized

XL Specialized Trailers features the XL 80 Power Tail trailer in its lineup. Ideal for transporting medium-duty construction equipment, the trailer features a hydraulic fold-under flip tail ramp for quick loading and unloading of hard-to-load equipment. With a load angle of ten degrees, the hydraulic tail is equipped to easily handle man lifts, rollers, forklifts and paving equipment. The XL Power Tail is rated at 80,000 pounds overall and 50,000 pounds concentrated in 10 feet. The Power Tail has a lifting capacity of 25,000 pounds for loads centered on the main platform. The trailer is comprised of two sections – an 8-foot 8-inch platform ramp and a 60-inch flip tail. Lug-style hinges prevent debris from accumulating, keeping both hinge points clean.

This model offers standard features to make drivers’ jobs easier including a hydraulic pop-up ramp connecting the deck to the gooseneck, a foot hole and grab handle on each side of the gooseneck for climbing onto the deck, an 18,000-pound hydraulic winch with a two-function wireless remote and an air kick-out for hauling inoperable equipment or static loads. In addition, the XL 80 Power Tail also comes equipped with a raised apitong and quarter-inch self-cleaning star traction decking, D-ring stake pockets, chain slots and a work light add convenience.

The XL 80 Power Tail is available in two lengths, 48 feet or 53 feet. There are customized options to choose from such as an 8- or 10-function remote, workaround pulley for winch cable, steel tread plate on the flip tail and pop-up ramp and various winches to customize the trailer for specific needs.

Trail King

The Trail King Mini Deck trailers range from 35 to 60-ton capacity. The trailer offers a deck height as low as 10 inches with 4-inch ground clearance to haul even the tallest equipment. Standard deck width is 8 foot 6 inches but can be as wide as 10 feet to accommodate extra wide loads. Customers can choose from mechanical, hydraulic or fixed gooseneck. Custom options may include detachable wheel area, outriggers and additional tie-downs. Versatility is key, and Trail King can customize this model for any customer’s specific needs, the company said.

Etnyre

The E. D. Etnyre Company of Oregon, IL manufactures the Blackhawk line of custom lowboy trailers. Etnyre recently manufactured a new lightweight model RTNP90TD3-R4/5/6A-RAWC West Coast trailer for Jerry Blackwell Truck and Trailer of Daingerfield, TX. The trailer is 10 feet wide for added stability. This trailer comes with an empty weight of 49,500 pounds, jeep, trailer and booster. The trailer is less than 120 feet long and with most trucks, this eliminates a pilot car. The trailer has a deck pin under the front of the platform, so the trailer can be shortened and stacked to move empty under 80,000 pounds gross. The trailer has a hydraulic power tower with a power pack and hydraulic bump steering for backing the trailer.

Trail-Eze Trailers

Trail-Eze Trailers based in Mitchell, SD has been custom designing and building trailers for over 55 years. The company specializes in trailers for towing and recovery, rental, agriculture, oilfield, construction, railroad, paving and container markets. Trail-Eze has recently finished a complete redesign of its front-loading hydraulic detachable goose neck trailers. The new trailer design includes an arched style goose neck that allows for more frame clearance for trucks with fenders and a hydraulic gooseneck support arm to support the gooseneck when unhooking. The new gooseneck also includes a five-position GN transport setting to accommodate a wide variety of deck heights.

The new load deck design features a standard heavy-duty double wide pullout outrigger at front to support the loading of heavy tracked equipment. A recessed knuckle trough at the rear of the load deck and open boom in the wheel area will accommodate excavator buckets, knuckles and booms. The low-profile wheel area design includes standard lowered bolsters for higher profile equipment. As a standard, Trail-Eze blasts down to white metal with an aluminum oxide pretreatment and sprays the trailers with Spectracron 701 wash primer before applying PPG 2,500-hour salt spray primer and PPG Spectracron 380 polyurethane paint.

Goldhofer

With its THP/DC, Goldhofer has developed a trailer to meet the broad range of different vehicle registration requirements in the individual states of the U.S. From a basic width of 14 feet, the modules can be widened step by step up to a maximum of 20 feet while the vehicle is on the move and under load (maximum 24-ton axle load at 25 mph), with the hydraulics operated by remote control. The standard running height of 4 feet can also be adjusted by using its hydraulic axle stroke of up to 2.3 feet. In the past it has often been necessary to completely unload the vehicles in order to adjust the width manually for critical sections of the route or border crossings, but the hydraulic system developed for the THP/DC by Goldhofer offers an impressive degree of flexibility that translates into real added value, the company said. In addition to the savings in time, mobility costs are also reduced as no additional tools are needed to adjust the vehicles to comply with the different regulations in force in the various federal states. Optionally, the trailers can also be operated with a special THP/DC gooseneck and such THP/SL accessories as dropdeck and turntable bolster.

The STZ-P 9 highway semitrailer is also tailored to the needs of the U.S. transport industry. The vehicle has 3 x 3 twin-axle bogies with pendular axle technology and a maximum steering angle of 60 degrees for excellent maneuverability. The low running height of STZ-P 9 makes for easy loading and unloading with a wide range of cargoes. Also, axle spacing between the bogies can be adjusted to meet the various regulations. Another attractive feature of the STZ-P 9 is the rear bogie, which can be retracted under load for greater flexibility when negotiating tight bends and roundabouts. On completion of the maneuver, the tractor is used to return the vehicle to the original extension.

Faymonville

Faymonville launched an extendable on-road heavy haul trailer with nine hydraulically steered pendular axles in 2015. The HighwayMAX excels thanks to its maneuverability and the high payload capacity combined with a low tare weight, the company said. Now, Faymonville has launched the next generation: the HighwayMAX-2 with a 3-axle pin-on nitro-booster to significantly increase the legal payload capacity. The trailer/booster combination allows a legal payload of around 205,000 pounds. The overall mobilization time and cost are by far the lowest in the industry for a trailer of this capacity, Faymonville said. The booster can easily be detached and loaded on the main trailer for empty transport. Together with the easy opening and closing of the stretch, this brings the closed truck/trailer length down to under 90 feet within minutes, so it will not require an escort in most states. The HighwayMAX has a strong chassis design, which allows to load very concentrated cargo with very little deflection, as well as high stability. It fully complies with the specific requirements in North America allowing a maximal payload thanks to its adapted dimensions.

Aspen Trailers

The Aspen E-Series transporters are a series of heavy haul trailers ranging from 55-ton 8 axle transporters to 85-ton 13 axle transporters. Aspen’s redesigned jeep is light but strong, the hydraulic gooseneck goes on and off easily, even on uneven ground and the hydraulic system is well powered and easy to operate. The main deck of these trailers can be reconfigured with the twist of a wrench; D-rings, chain pockets, cross chain tie downs and swingout outriggers can be swapped out and moved around. The E-Series includes Aspen’s patented auto-shim design booster; this design is a real time saver, drivers no longer need to second guess how many shims to use, as Aspen’s system shims automatically. Aspen E-Series trailers are highly modular allowing users to change the trailers configuration as needed. Goosenecks are hydraulically removable and can be connected to a variety of decks including double-drop configurations in flush or cantilever/drop side. The E-Series trailers have common air/regulated air suspension and are available in a variety of regional configurations to maximize regional regulations.

K-Line Trailers

K-Line Trailers manufactures the Line Dual Lane Transporter. When moving extraordinary loads needs more than off-the-shelf solutions. K-Line works closely with its customers to develop the specifications, details and features that will work for what they need. With easy locking adjustable towers, cross members that can be safely and quickly moved, reliable power-pack motors and radio remotes, operating a K-Line Transporter is straight forward.

K-Line’s goal is to deliver a load transporter that can be modified to customers future additions and expansions. New pieces can be easily added to fit standard pin or bolt connections. Whether operators need to widen, lengthen or change configuration, K-Line can design with future needs in mind. With an eye on tare weights, strength and reduced operating costs, K-Line designs transporters that allow customers to move larger payloads with fewer axles, and there for fewer tire/axle related maintenance expenses.

Rogers Brothers

Drawing on over a century of experience in the heavy-duty trailer industry, Rogers Brothers Corporation designs and engineers the Modular Series of detachable gooseneck trailers. These trailers are available in capacities from 50 to 90 tons and can be used in a variety of configurations to meet the challenges of interstate hauling. For example, the full-length configuration of the Rogers 60-ton modular series trailer includes a tandem jeep dolly, the high performance CobraNeck gooseneck with extender, a choice of deck styles (platform, drop side or I-beam) and lengths, the heavy-duty detachable rear frame, a 14 foot-1-inch spreader, and up to two removable axles for a 2 + 3 + 2 configuration. The close couple configuration of this trailer would remove the jeep dolly and 14 foot 1-inch spreader for a straight 3, 4 or 5 axle setups.

The CobraNeck gooseneck is simple to use, adjustable for multiple ride heights and will lift the rated capacity of the trailer positioned anywhere on the deck. Each of the deck styles is available in a variety of lengths and/or widths and is designed to carry the full rated capacity concentrated in half the deck length. The detachable rear frame features a pin-and-paddle style connection the trailer deck providing easy operation and shimming to fine tune load distribution to the rear axles.

The air suspension system can be adjusted using the mechanical ride height to raise or lower the suspension height by +/- 2 inches from standard. Axle air lift(s) are available as well as a dump valve and chain lifts for each axle. The rigid design 14 foot-1 inch spreader assembly includes a knuckle joint to assist in trailer handling.

Nelson Trailers

Nelson recently introduced a new hydraulic steering system that can be included on most Nelson trailers. Although the company offers automatic kingpin activated steering, the synchronized steering system provides an alternative that is at a lower cost, easy to use, safe to operate and reliable. Nelson’s synchronized hydraulic steering features hydraulic steering cylinders on each axle. Axles are hydraulically locked straight for normal highway travel. Air Operated Mechanical lock as a backup to the hydraulic lock on each axle, mechanical lock shave sensors to provide feedback to the steering controller. Wireless remote control operates the steering’s and locking pin functions, manual valves located on the trailer to operate the steering functions in the event of a remote-control failure, manual switch on the trailer to operate the locking pins in the event of a remote-control failure and steering angel sensors provide feedback to the hydraulic controller to keep axles synchronized. Steering can be set up for progressive or crab steering modes.

The benefits include use on nearly any axle configuration or spacing, greatly increases trailer maneuverability, maintains a low profiled rear deck over the tires, allows trailer to access locations that non-steering trailers cannot get to.

Talbert Manufacturing

Talbert Manufacturing, a offers the 60CC/55SA-LD trailer for optimum versatility. Customers will now easily recognize the 60-ton hauling capabilities of the formerly named 55SA-LD trailer. The trailer allows for 60-ton capacity with a close-coupled configuration or a 55-ton hauling capacity with a spread axle configuration. This innovative Talbert design gives customers flexibility to carry a variety of load options and meet differing hauling regulations, the company said. The Talbert 60CC/55SA-LD is a hydraulic detachable gooseneck trailer featuring a non-ground bearing hydraulic gooseneck design, a 108-inch swing radius with connections for an optional 24-inch gooseneck extension, a 25-foot deck length and 8-foot, 6-inch deck width. Instead of the common 20-inch deck height and 6 inches of ground clearance, the 60CC/55SA-LD delivers an 18-inch loaded deck height with a 6-inch ground clearance.

This trailer is equipped with Talbert’s optional East Coast-style E1Nitro spreader. The E1Nitro uses a combination of hydraulic fluid and nitrogen to equalize axle pressures, providing proportionate weight distribution of each axle grouping. This optimizes the range of suspension movement, which minimizes stress and provides a smooth ride. In addition, the E1Nitro features a bearing pivot and pivot lockout for backing the trailer. Users also can hydraulically lock the axle load regardless of terrain. The E1Nitro is standard with two-speed dual landing gear for optimal stability when disconnected from the trailer. Like all of its trailers, Talbert manufactures the 60CC/55SA-LD with heavy-duty T-1, 100,000-psi minimum yield steel for extreme durability and longevity. Talbert trailers are standard with Valspar R-Cure 800 paint to prevent corrosion, offering customers a long-lasting finish and better return on investment.