FEATURE – Trailers for every application

If you’re in the hauling business, you’ll already have your truck sorted, but what about a trailer? When you need to carry cargo your rig isn’t set up for, or you just want to haul more to earn more, trailers can be a cost effective alternative to a larger or additional truck, as well as a great investment.

The applications for trailers don’t start and finish with general hauling. Businesses from garden maintenance to car carrying all need trailers, albeit of vastly differing sizes and configurations. It’s also noteworthy that a lot of tradies today are pulling a trailer to keep tools, equipment and supplies in. Part of this can be put down to reduced load space in the tray of most modern dual cab utes, compared to the car-based utilities that were once a tradie’s best friend. The other factor is that the modern work ute often serves as the family transport and weekend getaway vehicle, too, so a trailer allows a ‘work ute’ to be used for ‘non-work’ applications without constant loading and unloading.

If you’re thinking a trailer would be of benefit to your business, there are plenty of options out there. From simple tray trailers that can fulfill a variety of roles, to enclosed trailers that offer weather protection and security, refrigerated trailers for fresh or frozen foods, tanker trailers for fuel and other liquids, low loaders for plant and equipment, tipping trailers for earthmoving, crate trailers for livestock and plenty more - there’s actually a bewildering array to choose from!

As well as broadening your hauling capability, another benefit of a trailer is that it can reduce strain on your vehicle. Yes, the weight of a trailer and what it’s carrying can tax your vehicle’s engine, but a trailer means you aren’t stressing the chassis and suspension components by overloading the truck itself. There’s also the freedom to unhitch the trailer if you need to complete other tasks before transferring or delivering items.

Before you look at purchasing a trailer, determine what you need it for and what your vehicle can tow. These are the two most important factors, but also consider how often you’re likely to use the trailer, too. These will be key factors in determining your final purchase decision. If the need for a trailer is rare, hiring may make more sense, but let’s assume you’ll be using it often enough to make purchasing the better option financially.

Once you’ve determined your needs, look at new and second-hand options. New trailers have obvious advantages, including a warranty in most cases, but a used trailer can often be just as practical and usable, while potentially saving you a lot of money, too.

There are plenty of second-hand trailer suppliers out there, but few offer a really wide array of different trailers at different prices to suit different applications.

Maryborough Machinery is an exception. They have a huge range on offer, from small fuel trailers to heavy-duty low loaders. Their stock is all second-hand, but some units are refurbished, making them just as usable and reliable as new trailers, but at reduced cost.

Stock turns over pretty regularly, so if you’re in the market for a trailer, contact Maryborough Machinery on (03) 5464 2387, call in to their yard at 4126 Pyrenees Highway, Flagstaff (Maryborough), or visit their website HERE to see what’s currently on offer.