Skeleton trailer is a light, simple structure truck trailer, most commonly used to transport containers, so we can often see it in the port.

There are two types of skeleton trailers: gooseneck skeleton trailers and straight skeleton trailers. Gooseneck skeleton trailers have better load capacity and lower fuel consumption than straight skeleton trailers. Therefore, gooseneck skeleton trailers are generally more expensive than straight skeleton trailers.


The usage of the skeleton trailer is determined according to the number of container twist locks. They will usually have between four and fourteen container twist locks so that a driver can load a range of containers of different lengths. Following I will take a 40-foot skeleton trailer as an example to introduce its usages to you.
- The skeleton trailer with only 4 container twist locks can only load one 40-foot container.

- The skeleton trailer with 10 container twist locks is the most popular type because it has two usages. It can not only load two 20-foot containers, but also one 40-foot container.

- The skeleton trailer with 14 container twist locks is the most versatile type, and it has 3 usages. It can load two 20-foot containers, one 40-foot container, and one 20-foot container trailer plus one 40-foot container.
- The more container twist locks, the more usages of the skeleton trailer and the more expensive it is.
So, you could choose the most suitable skeleton trailer according to your own needs. If you don’t have too much cargo to load, you could choose a straight skeleton trailer. As for the number of container twist locks, you could choose according to your purpose.
If you are interested in it or have any questions, please feel free to contact us, we are very happy to provide full support.
Hi! When you pointed out that the more the twist locks, the safer our trailer would be, it was really enlightening for me. This pretty much sums up what my cousin’s friend has been thinking about for a while now because she was asked recently to take care of a long trailer which belongs to her neighbor. I’ll ask her to consider this type of security feature so the vehicle will stay intact.