How To Safely Load Your Trailer
Whether you’re clearing debris from a worksite or bringing your powersports vehicles to the track, modern trailers are absolute lifesavers when it comes to moving large cargo. But just because they make life easy doesn’t mean you can totally relax! The convenience of a trailer is balanced in part by the unique challenges they provide, and some of those can be dangerous if you don’t take care.
To help ease your mind, we here at Southern Trailer Works have put together a few tips for loading your trailer safely. Safe loading makes safe transportation possible!
If you want to know more, or you want to browse the trailers we have for sale, contact our store in Schriever, Louisiana. Our friendly and experienced staff will make sure you get what you need at the prices you want.
Before You Start
Make sure you know your trailer’s gross vehicle weight rating, or GVWR, which is the total amount of weight it can support. Never load more weight on your trailer than it’s rated for, as this can damage or blowout tires, damage the axle or deck, and in general isn’t safe. You should also know your tow vehicle’s tow capacity and make sure it can handle the trailer once it’s fully loaded.
1: Level Out
Your first step in loading is to park your trailer on a fairly level surface. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but if your trailer is on a distinct slope, your cargo might slip and shift after you get moving. Parking on level ground also gives you a better idea of the space you’re working with.
2: Chock Up
You never want your trailer to start rolling while you’re still loading or securing your load. Prevent this easily enough with wheel chocks, wedges that keep your wheels from moving. This also helps stabilize the trailer during the loading process, so any slips or shifts will be minimized. For added stability, hitch your trailer to your tow vehicle early in the process and place the vehicle in park with the emergency brake engaged.
3: Weight Distribution
Before the loading process, look over the entirety of your cargo and plan out where you’ll be putting it in the trailer. If your trailer has a single axle, you’ll want to distribute the weight by the 60/40 rule. That means 60% of the cargo weight should be in front of the axle with 40% of the weight behind it. That ensures the tongue weight is optimized to reduce trailer sway. If your trailer has more axles, try to distribute that weight more evenly between the front and rear.
Always distribute the weight evenly between the right and left!
4: Heavy Items First
This might seem common sense to some, but it’s vitally important to load heavy items into your trailer first. This is true for all trailers, whether or not they follow the 60/40 rule. This helps you plan out the weight distribution and adjust as needed. For trailers with a single axle, place heavy cargo near the center just forward of the axle.
5: Tie Down
If your cargo includes one or more large items, you’ll want to secure them in place with the trailer’s tie-down anchors using rope, chains, or ratchet straps, then tie off the excess to keep it from dragging on the road. This is immensely important—loose heavy items in a trailer can cause sway and other instability while on the road. If your cargo is a vehicle, make sure it’s placed in park and make use of wheel chocks again.
6: Lightweight Second
Once the heavy stuff is loaded and secured, you can start to load your lighter cargo. Place it in the gaps between larger items or, if you think it’s safe, even on top of heavy cargo. This can apply to small tools, leaves, dirt, and other small objects. When possible, bundle small items or package them up to keep them secured. Covering your trailer with a tarp and securing it with straps can also help keep everything in its proper place.
7: Hitch And Check Lights
If you didn’t hitch in step 1, it’s time to get to it. Make sure to follow all hitching steps for the hitch you’re using. Test your trailer lights to make sure they’re functioning, then check the tongue weight to see how likely trailer sway is.
With all that out of the way, you’re ready to go! If you want more advice, or if you'd like to see our stock of trailers for sale, contact us at Southern Trailer Works. We proudly serve the people of Thibodaux and New Orleans, Louisiana—let us serve you today!