The lowboy trailer first appeared in 1920 and has grown in popularity. It’s called a lowbed trailer because it has a lower deck than other trailers. At this time, all cargo can only be loaded from the rear.
By 1950, people had made some modifications to the lowboy trailer, which can load the heavy equipment more comfortably and efficiently. The equipment can be loaded not only from the rear but also from the front, as the front gooseneck becomes a detachable part.
Lowbed Hauling
When we buy a lowbed trailer, it is usually categorized by ton carrying capacity. A 25-ton lowbed trailer can typically carry over 50,000 pounds. The 35-ton lowbed trailer has a carrying capacity of over 70,000 pounds.
The carrying capacity here refers to the net carry capacity, excluding the weight of the lowboy trailer itself. Some manufacturers say their lowbed trailers have a carrying capacity of 70,000 lbs, but this includes the lowboy trailer’s own weight, in fact, the net weight capacity is only 20,000 lbs. When buying a lowbed semi-trailer, you need to confirm this problem with the merchant first!
In addition to 25t and 30t, there are also 50t lowbed semi-trailers. The 50-ton lowboy trailer can carry items in excess of 100,000 lbs. Three Horses Trailer’s lowbed semi-trailer can even have a net weight capacity of 170,000 lbs.
The carrying capacity of the lowbed trailer is usually inseparable from the axle. A typical two-axle lowbed trailer can carry 40,000 pounds cargos, and a three-axle lowbed trailer has a carrying capacity of 80,000 pounds. With the increase of the number of axles, the carrying capacity will be stronger and stronger. So now the most common lowbed trailer configuration is a three-axle semi-trailer. The quality of the axle is also closely related to the carrying capacity of the semi-trailer. The better the quality, the stronger the load-bearing capacity. The Three Horse Trailer uses world-renowned axles: BPW in Germany and FUWA in China, so the semi-trailer they manufacture can carry a load-bearing capacity of 170,000 lbs.
Lowbed Trailer Length
The dimensions of lowbed trailers are usually different. When purchasing, you need to determine the length, width, etc. according to local regulations. You can refer to the following dimensions:
- Maximum well length – 24 feet to 29.6 feet
- Maximum well height – 18 inches to 24 inches
- Maximum legal width – 8.5 feet
- Maximum legal freight height – 11.5 feet to 12 feet
- Maximum legal overall load height – 14 feet