Lowboys are great semi trailers for hauling heavy loads or oversized loads. Lowboys provide a low ride height that gets taller loads under bridge laws and street lights or power lines. Lowboy trailers come in a variety of sizes, but most are 48 or 53 feet long. The type of well and the length of the lowboy trailers are critical as they determine what size and type of equipment can be transported on it. The well length of lowboy trailers can range from as little as 20 feet to as long as 30 feet. Extendable lowboys can add even more length to the well for extra long loads. Some wells may have bridges in the middle or flats or boom wells over the rear axles, so it is essential that the type of well suits the type of equipment you will be loading. Most lowboy trailers will be 102 inches wide, but they have stabilizers or slider outlets along the side that can make the width of the trailer wider to help haul your wider wheeled or tracked loads. Most lowboy trailers don’t come with winches on the sides, and truckers use chains and ties to secure the cargo being carried on the semi. In general, most lowboy trailers are made of steel frame, steel cross members, and exterior steel construction with wooden floors. Lowboy trailers come in a mix of different axle variations, from tandem to trike to quad and more. Folding axles, jeeps, and thrusters are common accessories that help the lowboy trailer haul larger, heavier loads. Some heavy-duty lowboys may have multiple axles, jeeps, boosters, spreader bars, neck extensions, and other add-ons to help with heavier cargo hauling. Lowboys have many different neck variations to help with the loading and unloading of gear. Mechanical detach lowboys have a collar system that manually engages and disengages with a system of locking pins, levers, locks, shackles, and semi-trailer assist.

Lowboys are also manufactured as hydraulic disconnect lowboy trailers that come primarily in two different styles: ground-supported and non-ground-supported lowboys. The ground-bearing lowboys are pretty self-explanatory. Hydraulic rams use the ground to push to raise and lower the height of the lowboy, as well as to connect and disconnect the neck of the semi-trailer. If you see a low bed trailer that has hydraulic rams that use the ground below it to push the trailer up and down, then it is a ground-supporting low bed trailer. Lowboys that don’t sit on the ground have hydraulic systems that don’t use the ground to propel themselves. These lowboys either push the trailer or work with the semi trailer’s fifth wheel to connect and disconnect to load and unload the semi.

Many different types of lowboys work, connect and disconnect in different ways depending on how the manufacturer has designed the process of connecting and disconnecting the neck of the lowboys. Hydraulic disconnect lowboy trailers work with either a wet line kit that is attached to the trailer or a pony motor system that is attached to the trailer to help with hookups.

Lowboys are rated in different capacity variations of 35 tons, 50 tons, 60 tons and a much higher tonnage rating. The price of these larger capacity trailers can be very expensive. You pay for what you get in life, and semis and trailers are the same thing. If you’re shopping for a high-capacity lowboy in the twenty-thousand-dollar range or less, then it’s probably old and in need of a little TLC.

There are many places to buy a lowboy trailer online. As you shop, you need to make sure it’s the right trailer for your hauling needs. Capacity, pit length, wheelbase, GVWR, GAWR, swing clearance, stringer spacing, ground clearance, deck height, demountable configuration and many other factors can be significant factors in your ability to run loads effectively and generate revenue. If you don’t know exactly what you need, then it might be a good idea to call other lowboy truck companies to humbly ask for advice. You can also call low-bed dealers or manufacturers to clarify the specifications you’ll need to legally transport your target loads. You can also call permit companies for advice on what type of trailer is required to legally pull specific types of cargo. As well as reading multiple sites or online forums for help from other experienced traders. Quality lowboy trailers can be very expensive, so doing your research could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of time and headaches before you buy instead of after you buy.