Ultimate Guide To Truckload Trailer Types For Freight

09 Sep.,2023

 

Understanding Tractor Trailer Dimensions

Semi tractor trailers come in so many different sizes and matching up such can make a massive difference in your worldwide shipping needs.

Whether you have freight shipping China to Canada know what service and equipment for collection is crucial. Especially when you are then shipping from Canada to the USA.

When determining the right logistics services, be it machinery transport for construction logistics, or dry van freight shipping.  When understanding the types of flatbed trucks that not all equipment is to serve the same.

Depending on your trucking services and shipping logistics needs, length and trailer dimensions very considerably. It’s best to find the exact size and dimensions of your cargo first then determine the right trailer. Be it a reefer truck or Dry Van or a Flatbed supersized heavy haul, or machinery transport we can help with your shipping logistics to understand all the variations of trailers with pictures.

Once you have determined all the semi truck dimensions, length of semi truck without trailer, height, weight, length, and width tractor trailer, you will need to determine how it will be loaded upon the trailer and if flatbed tarping systems are required. 

 

Flatbed Trailer Types 

Here you will see the specifications listed for cargo and truckload trailer types including Flatbed trailer or Dry Vans, and Specialized Trucking flat decks such as Step Deck Trailers, RGN – (Removable Gooseneck Trailer), ltl Tri-Temp, Lowboy Trailers, Dry Vans, PO (Power Only), Tri-axle trailer Flatbed, Super B Truck and Trailer, Flatbed Stretch Trailers, Extendable Double Drop Trailers, Refrigerated, Conestogas, Heavy Haul, Sidekits, Stretch RGN or Removable Goosenecks, Well Deck Lowboy Trailers, types of dry van trailers, standard truck dimensions, legal flatbed dimensions, maximum freight weight and over dimensional trailers. 

When understanding semi-tractor-trailer types, and trailer length, height of a truck trailer, what trailer for tractor and trailer dimensions. 

This guide will assist you to determine the type of flatbed trailer, truck trailer height and the FTL weight limit and capacity to transport your load. 

Types of Flatbed Trailers & Flatbed Trailer length

The most common types of specialized trucking trailers and flatbed trailers include:

 

  • Removable Gooseneck Trailers (RGN)

 

  • Stretch Double Drop Trailers

 

  • Step Deck Trailers

 

  • Conestoga Trailers

 

  • Sidekit Trailers

 

  • Lowboy Trailers

It is important to take note the high bed trailer specification, flatbed trailer sizes, the flatbed weight limit or total weight of the freight as well as the dimensions of a particular type for proper and accurate flat bed & specialized trucking rates.

What is the height of a flatbed trailer?

How tall is a flatbed trailer?

Types of Trucks and Trailers

When discussing Flatbed Semi Trailer deck height, from ground each flatbed truck and its freight is different from the other types so the information that you will be seeing here should be used and treated as your general guideline of trailer weight and flatbed capacity.

Typically, most of the platform trailers mentioned here are capable of handling freight that may even exceed the dimensions and weights for a required permit in a particular province and even premium charges that are needed to be obtained prior to your specific type of shipment.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

It is important to note when understanding trailer sizes that trailers for hauling very in size, dimension and weight capacity of each is based on the corresponding trucking specifications, or axle configuration of a particular semi-tractor and trailer used.

For each trailer types, height and dimensions, corresponding weight and dimension capacity are also listed and the figures are listed approximately.

Thus, the numbers or figures that you will see on the list can be used as an estimated guideline for freight and load planning and understanding semi truck trailer height.

More importantly, these figures should not be used as your basis in making loading calculations that require accuracy and precision.

Legal Axle Weights in BC

Maximum Legal Weight Allowed

The maximum legal axle weight allowed on a highway:

-Single Axle 9 100 kg, any one axle of a Tridem or Tandem Axle Group 9 100 kg.

The difference axle weight between adjacent axles 1 000 kg maximum; the gross weight on the steering axle of an all-wheel-drive three axle truck is 7 500 kg maximum.

The gross weight of any two adjacent axles in a Tridem Axle Group 17 000 kg maximum (except in case of a tridem pole trailer), the sum of the axle loads on the drive axles and jeep axle in a tandem drive truck tractor in combination with a single axle jeep and lowbed semi-trailer 24 000 kg.

The maximum licensed gross vehicle weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles must not exceed 63 500 kg.

A person may, without a permit, operate the semi-trailer of a 2-vehicle combination with a spread tandem axle, if the inter-axle spacing between the 2 non-steering axles exceeds 185 cm but does not exceed 307 cm, provided that the sum of the axle weight for both axles does not exceed 9 100 kg.

A person must not, without an overload permit, drive or operate on a highway when:

  1. a vehicle or combination of vehicles having a gross weight on the drive axle that is less than 20% of the gross vehicle weight, or

  2. a combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 38 000 kg unless the towing vehicle has a tandem or tridem drive axle.


     

    How much weight can a flatbed carry?

    What is the flatbed max weight?

    48′ flatbed trailer weight capacity 

Axle Group

Maximum

Single

9,100 kg

Tandem

9,100 kg

Tridem

17,000 kg

Gross Vehicle Weight

38,000 kg

Flatbeds are extremely popular and are widely used because they exude a great sense of versatility.

Generally, when determining a trailer for semi truck, with all the types, a flatbed is used to load the product on its tip, sides, and rear.

With these capabilities, flatbeds have truly become the primary and leading assets of the trucking industry.

This kind of trailer has the capability to carry a maximum legal freight dimension and flat deck trailer weight which are as follows:

    • Flatbed Trailers Maximum freight weight of 48,000 lbs

    • Tri-axle Trailers Maximum Freight Weight of 65,000 lbs

While adding a number of axles can increase the limit. To determine the 48′ flatbed trailer weight capacity, keep in mind that the maximum cargo a carrier can unload from each axle is 20,000 lbs.

Flatbed Trailers Maximum freight dimensions:

  • Maximum Flatbed Trailer Length- 48 ft – 53 ft trailer height 

  • Maximum Flatbed Trailer Width- 8.5 ft

  • Maximum Legal Freight Height- 8.5 f

 

For more information Removable Gooseneck Lowbed Trailer, 9 line 18 axle 200T lowbed trailer, please get in touch with us!