How To Safely Load a Trailer

Trailers provide you with an easy and convenient means of hauling all types of cargo from place to place. They’re convenient and reasonably easy to use, although you’ll want to make sure that you’re using them correctly.

Regardless of the type of cargo you’re carrying, you need to follow some basic safety guidelines when loading your cargo into your trailer. An improperly loaded trailer is a serious road hazard and can make for dangerous driving if you’re not careful. Here are some safety tips for loading your trailer so that you can reduce the risk of harm to yourself, your vehicles and others on the highway.

1. Check Your GCWR

Your towing vehicle needs to be strong enough to haul your loaded trailer without incident. You can figure out what your towing vehicle’s capacity is by checking the gross combined weight rating (GCWR) in the owner’s manual or online. This number will give you the upper limit of what your towing vehicle can handle. Use that number as a guide when shopping for the perfect cargo trailer, too.

2. Inspect Your Towing Set-Up

It’s always smart to take the time to fully inspect your towing set-up before you begin the loading process. Even if you just loaded cargo yesterday and the drive was fine, it’s smart to make sure nothing is amiss today. Check your tire pressure in both vehicles and air them up to the proper psi levels while you look for signs of embedded objects or cracks in the sidewalls. Make sure the hitch secures tightly and that your towing chains are in place if you’re using them. Look over brake light systems to ensure they’re functioning properly.

3. Maintain a Safe Weight

When it comes to loading up your cargo, you never want to exceed what the trailer itself is capable of handling. Even if your truck can carry more weight, the trailer itself has its own limit. Just because you can load it up to the brim with different items doesn’t mean you should. You’ll be able to find your trailer’s weight limit in the manual or you can ask at the dealership about the capacities of various models to find something that can meet your needs.

4. Distribute Weight Evenly

There’s a handy rule for loading cargo into a trailer: the 60/40 rule. This rule stipulates that you should place 60% of your cargo weight towards the front of the axle or axles and 40% towards the rear. Industry professionals and loading experts alike recommend adhering to this rule for proper weight distribution. It’s also essential to distribute weight evenly from left to right, to avoid putting undue pressure on your cargo trailer’s tires.

5. Center Heavy Weights

If you’re hauling some really hefty cargo, you’ll need to alter that rule above just a bit. Dense and heavy cargo should be centered over the axle or axles of your cargo trailer to reduce strain and ensure that it’s balanced for safe driving. Bear in mind that you still don’t want to overburden your trailer, as an improperly or overly loaded trailer can lead to trailer sway, a broken hitch, issues with climbing hills or problems with braking while you drive.

Remember that you can always contact the service department here at Wholesale Trailers & Marine if your trailer needs some professional attention before your next hauling appointment. 

Still need a trailer? Come see us at our dealership in Nisku, Alberta, to check out our full selection of new and used trailers for sale. Wholesale Trailers & Marine proudly serves the cities of Edmonton and Red Deer, AB.