Trailers play an important role in agriculture. People use trailers to transport crops, livestock, or other agricultural products. These trailers for transporting agricultural products are usually highly specialized and different from normal semi-trailers. This is also due to the special nature of the goods being transported. So, if you want to buy a farm trailer, you first need to determine the type of cargo you want to transport.
Hopper Trailers
It requires a semi-tractor for towing and can be used to transport any bulk commodity such as grain, rice, dirt, sand, and even fertilizer. Typically, hopper trailers have two hoppers at the base, both of which are used to unload the product.
Hopper trailers usually cannot be used alone and need to be combined with other types of agricultural machinery. The most common combination is the harvester’s load grain carts, where the grain is loaded into the hopper by a machine.
When you want to purchase a grain hopper trailer, safety is the first thing to consider. This is because grain transportation can be a risky business. When purchasing, you observe if the trailer has the following features.
- Sidewall windows: This helps the operator to easily view the load
- Safety ropes: This allows the operator to climb in and out of the trailer easily and without the risk of falling
- Electric tarp: Grain is usually afraid of water and wind. With a tarp, the grain is protected from the elements
There are also ABS and lights, which most semi-trailers are currently equipped with and serve almost the same purpose, so you need to pay attention to their presence or absence.
When buying a hopper trailer, you also need to consider the number of axles. Usually, semi-trailers are available with single, double, and triple axles. The main basis for choosing the number of axles is the weight of the load. When you are not sure how many axles are right for you, you can tell the merchant and they will make a recommendation for you. Make sure the number of axles can handle the heaviest load, otherwise you may face fines and safety hazards.
Belt trailers
It can be considered as a type of dump trailer and can be used for crop transport. The product is moved to the end of the trailer using electronic or hydraulic power by moving the belt to help unload it. The crops are usually corn, potatoes, grains, soybeans, feed, etc. This type of unloading reduces bumping between loads and reduces crop loss compared to traditional tipping.
If you are working alone, the belt trailer will make the task easy, allowing you to unload in as little as five minutes.
Livestock Trailers
There are more things you need to consider when buying a livestock trailer. The type of trailer you choose depends largely on what kind of livestock you need to transport. In addition to that, you need to consider their weight, safety, and comfort.
Some livestock trailers will also come with living quarters, so if you will be spending a lot of time on the road, then a livestock trailer with living quarters is the best choice. Usually, these trailers will have a bedroom, storage room, living room, kitchenette, small bathroom, etc., which can save you money on the road.
It’s helpful that you talked about how trailers are crucial to farming because they safely move a wide variety of goods. I also like that you explained the many hydraulic trailer kinds that can hold the cargo, including hoppers and belts. Given that he primarily works alone on the farm, my brother intends to buy one for his needs. I’ll be sure to share this with him so he has a selection.