Trailers & Towing Equipment
Moving equipment between jobs is a high-risk task. Trailers come unhitched, loads shift, machines slide off ramps, and drivers lose control when the trailer is overloaded or badly balanced.
- Construction
- Landscaping
Photo: skid steer chained to a trailer at four points, with safety chains crossed under the tongue
Know your weights
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| GVWR | Gross vehicle weight rating: the most the truck (or trailer) may weigh fully loaded |
| GCWR | Gross combination weight rating: the most the truck and trailer together may weigh |
| Towing capacity | The heaviest trailer the truck is rated to pull with the right hitch |
| Tongue weight | The downward force of the trailer on the hitch, usually 10 to 15% of trailer weight for bumper-pull trailers |
| Hitch class / rating | The receiver, ball mount and ball each have their own rating. The lowest one limits you. |
Weights add up fast: a 12,000-pound mini excavator on a 3,000-pound trailer behind a pickup can exceed the truck’s rating. Check the door-jamb label and the trailer VIN plate.
Hitching up
- Hitch ball or pintle rated for the trailer’s weight, and the coupler fully latched and pinned
- Safety chains attached and crossed under the tongue
- Breakaway brake cable connected (trailers with electric brakes)
- Lights and brakes tested
- Tires inflated; lug nuts tight; jack raised
- Truck and trailer weight ratings (GVWR and towing capacity) not exceeded
Loading equipment
- Load on level ground with the truck parked and the trailer chocked.
- Set the ramps to the machine’s track or wheel width and make sure they’re secured.
- Drive straight on and off. Don’t turn on the ramps.
- Position the load so about 10–15% of the trailer weight is on the tongue. Too little tongue weight causes dangerous sway.
- Lower buckets, blades and booms; set the brake.
- Secure heavy equipment with rated chains and binders at the manufacturer’s tie-down points, typically at least four points.
- Don’t stand beside or behind a machine being loaded.
- Don’t ride on the trailer or in the machine while towing.
Chaining down equipment
- Use chains and binders with a working load limit (WLL) marked on them. The combined WLL of all tie-downs must be at least half the weight of the machine, and heavy equipment needs at least four tie-downs
- Attach chains at the machine’s marked tie-down points, not to axles, hydraulic lines or the bucket edge
- Lower and secure buckets, blades and booms, and chain attachments separately
- Use ratchet binders where possible. Lever binders can snap back; keep your body out of the handle’s path
- Recheck chains after the first few miles and at every stop
On the road
- Do a walk-around before leaving: coupler, chains, lights, tires, load, ramps up and pinned.
- Allow much more stopping distance and take turns wider.
- If the trailer starts to sway, ease off the gas, keep the wheel straight, and apply the trailer brake controller gently. Don’t slam the truck brakes.
- Know your total height. Booms and cabs can hit bridges and wires.
DOT rules: large truck and trailer combinations may need a CDL, DOT number and inspections. See DOT Rules for Work Trucks.
Video: hitching a trailer and chaining down equipment
Standards & references
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