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GN Trailers?

Ed HD

Ed HD

Formerly: Dad's 05 LLY
Messages
3,152
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363
Location
Chuck Town, Iowa
So, long story short, my dad is putting together a broiler chicken operation in NE Iowa/SW Wisconsin. As part of that operation, the company is going to own about 9 semi trailers and the modules/cages that the birds get hauled in. The mods (which hold the cages) get hauled on & off the truck and into/out of the barn by a large, rough terrain forklift, which the company will also own. It seems that these forklifts weigh in excess of 15,000 lbs, and will need to be hauled around to the farms and back to the HQ unit. So my questions are:

What is a good brand of Gooseneck trailer to get that's going to be reliable, strong and last well, and not be ridiculously expensive? I'm sure it'll need to have tandem duals with at least 10k axles?

And B: I'm assuming a Duramax Dually will handle that, but will the driver need a CDL? Truck is 8k lbs, trailer will be at least 6, so that's 14k lbs plus the 15k lift, 29k GVW. I just got my CDL permit, and will be getting my Class A Combination Vehicle license, but I won't always be the one hauling the damn things around.

Thoughts?
 
Anything commercial over 26,000 pounds requires a cdl except for certain agricultaral uses within 50 miles of where you're based out of(check local regs though to verify as it varies from state to state, and this is only true for Florida). A dually can do it just fine, but you will probably have to commercially register the truck for that amount of weight. If it's commercially registered, you can legally haul over the manufacturers wax gcvwr legally so long as you don't exceed the manufacturers axle ratings(they do enforce those from what I understand). Can't help you with a trailer brand, but is there any reason you're going with a goose neck vs fifth wheel at that kind of weight?
 
You need to buy my lml

Yes they will handle it.

PJ trailers are top of the line. Look at a tandem dual axle with torque tube. At least 10k axles, my 12k axles give me piece of mind.
 
ak diesel driver said:
not what I've been told by the DMV
Click to expand...
Might be different up WAY north then. I know several guys hauling commercial going WAY over the factories gcvwr, and dot could care less so long as the weight rating on there papers and the side of the truck isn't exceeded.
 
My buddy hauls some pretty heavy tractors (and his pulling truck) with a LoadMax gooseneck with dual tandem 10K axles. It pulls great as well. PJ seems a little over priced around here thats why he went with the loadmax.
 
Just a month ago I changed my tag on the dually from a regular state tag to a farm tag, they asked me what weight I wanted the truck registered at, said I could go as high as I wanted up to 26K without a cdl.... so I went with 25500... they said I would be good to go as long as I wasn't hauling for hire..... here a farm tag almost lets ya move anything as long as the tires & wheels are rated for it....

They said I could have gone with more weight rating but I gave my cdl back so now I'm just a regular driver....
 
Check with costs or registration when raising the numbers.

Here diesels get smogged on a dyno. For years no one had a dyno for full time 4wd, so the dmv issued a waiver every year but going through the process was a p.i.t.a. So one year a supervisor said I could just raise my rating above required smog levels. It tacked on more taxes to my registration but eliminated the problem.

Of coarse 2 years later they eliminated the wieght exception when a company opened an all wheel dyno and now dmv will not lower my rating back down, so I pay for smog AND the ever increasing added weight tax. Go Team!

Also talk to your insurance company - rates are affected there also. Woo Hoo!

Can somebody help me, my sarcasm is stuck in high gear today.
 
x2 on the PJ trailer brand being well built. No doubt you pay for it buying one new. Seems like they build a little more to a quality point - vs - price point as with many trailer mfrs. The torque tube is a good feature if trailer will ever be loaded unequally on the front corners.

Is there some potential stability advantage of a 5th wheel? Otherwise I prefer the flex btwn truck/trailer a gooseneck ball allows on rougher terrain, plus turnover ball GN hitches quickly free up the entire truck bed when necessary.

Some states (MO for example) allow a one time/lifetime license tag for a 5th wheel/GN trailer for Ag purposes.
 
My trailer is a starlight and is decent but doesn't have a torque tube. It has a few cracks but none in real serious areas, places like ramp hinges, a rub rail, and w pieces of angle iron on the dove tail. All axle mounting and main frame is solid.
 
Pretty much any trailer is going to be setup for a gooseneck, no? Not looking to get a low-boy semi here. I think we should be able to get farm tags, so we'll see if that works out. Anywhere we go with a load should be within 150 miles of the plant. etc.

Tanner, I'll PM you.
 
I always thought someone should make a low boy for pickups. Maybe just me thats needed one a few times?
 
Will L. said:
I always thought someone should make a low boy for pickups. Maybe just me thats needed one a few times?
Click to expand...

They do. Just called a carhauler. Not quite as low as say a farm hay trailer lo-boy. But notably lower than deckover. The carhauler feels even more stable than a gooseneck deckover, although by nature, goosenecks with their long tongue length, are all pretty stable compared to bumper pull. That's why I tolerate the heavier trailer weight -vs- payload over bumper pull trailers.

Soon as you get one type, seems like a job finds you that the other type is better suited for...IMAG0182.jpg
 
Last edited:
That's a nice trailer.

Yeah, the weight rating we will need necesitates a deckover, with a bobtail and ramps to be able to hopefully get the forklift on without high centering the damn thing.
 
Trailer started off like this. Salvage title that had been thru/somewhat in a fire. Was a late night Craigslist find cheap enough I could buy quality new components (wiring, lights, deck, wheels, tires, bearings, etc.), paint it, & have a basically new trailer for used price. And buying used typically means you're gonna have to fix stuff anyway.

Thought it was a decent $ deal, otherwise I would have bought a deckover as the fenders sometimes get in the way, eg. loading lumber or long steel with a forklift. Had to make wooden blocks of fender height to haul tractor.

You might check out PJ trailer's website. Lots of useful information regardless what brand trailer you get. Can see all the options, configurations, etc.
Before - carhauller.jpg
 
X2 -nice trailer.

I guess i was just thinking one that would ride lower for a low center of gravity and not have to have a big of ramp(s).
Maybe swing arm suspension using airbags so you can drop the deck to the road for loading, then air up for rough terrain. Then the airbags can give a smooth ride to the load. Horizontal shock mounted via cam to have the travel but win the clearence fight.
Ive had too many times going to get a warehouse style forklit, or scissor lift where they can climb (or winched) up an angle without high centering.
I know- too picky.;)

On the fenders i have made a few trailers that the fender is made with draw bar tube front and rear. Then the 2" tube is mountes to the frame of the trailer, both are almost vertical- slight lean away from the trailer. You can undo a hitch pin and lift the fender off over the tires, including a splash shield. Then drive over the tires to load if needed.
 
A trailer ad came across my facebook feed showing a gooseneck, deckover, tilt-bed trailer. Hadn't seen that before. Probably expensive, but thought I'd share as it looks like it would allow easy loading of low slung equip like forklifts. Suppose the additional cost could be worth it for the easy loading if load/unload needs to happen often enough.

http://www.sltrailers.com/GH_Tilt_Bed_Hi_DeckS.html
 
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