The Right Way To Load A Trailer

Are you a professional hauler or have a trailer for personal uses? While loading the trailer, it is important for you to follow certain standards for ensuring proper weight distribution.

Whether you need to tow cars, cargo or just personal camping gear, one of the most important things you should bear in mind is that equalizing the load as well as prepping the truck and trailer are essential to ensure safe driving. The way you place the load would determine how your vehicle handles during the journey.

Every year, there are several reported cases of accidents involving trailers due to swaying or fishtailing. And one of the primary reasons for fishtailing is lack of enough tongue weight percentage compared to the gross trailer weight. The former quantity should be at least 10–15% of the latter, although the presence of a 5th wheel could increase the requirement to about 25%. In order to reduce sway, it is imperative that you place the load ahead of the axle in front of the trailer. In addition to that, the load should be tied down firmly and centered left to right for decreasing its chances of getting shifted while on the move.

Suppose you are planning to tow extremely heavy cargo using a 5 car hauler, you can expect problems under hard braking and in cornering. This is because heavy loads can abruptly increase tongue weight, thereby reducing loading of front axle at that time when braking and steering are required the most. Fortunately, there are certain countermeasures you can use to prevent all these from happening. Load the heavy items before anything else and tied them down securely at multiple angles. Make sure you start with the front part of your trailer first and place 60% of the gross weight ahead of front axle. The weight should be distributed evenly from side to side.

Let’s consider a suitable example to understand how weight should be distributed throughout a trailer. A properly loaded 18 feet long trailer having a 146-inch wheelbase, double axle and a gross weight of about 2200 pounds will possess a tongue weight of around 300 pounds. However, the tow truck’s rear part can squat due to the tongue weight, which would reduce rear ground clearance and exit angle. The facade of the vehicle will also get lightened and reduce contact of the front tires with the road, hence impairing braking, stability and even braking. A good way to prevent this is by distributing weight evenly among the four tires with the help of air bags. Not only will they stabilize and level the vehicle, but also restore its balance and eliminate squat.