Today’s trailer is unique in both appearance and function. It was purchased by a Fortune 500 company for moving extremely heavy compression systems. Intended function for this trailer includes some assembly on the systems being transported, so keeping the middle load-carrying portion as low as possible was a major ergonomic design criteria.
Other reasons for a low center section (also called “lowboy”) may be overhead clearance when carrying a load or maintaining a lower center of gravity for safety purposes. In this case, the customer established a 3” clearance from the floor to the bottom of the center structure, and requested the lowest possible deck height. Employing additional structural rails in the lower frame helped to minimize the required “C”-channel height and keep the deck low.
Additionally, the customer asked that the total trailer length be as short as possible. Lowboy trailers need additional length for the running gear, since the load is generally carried only in the center section.
The two-wheel Auto-Steer system helps minimize the length as a fifth-wheel design (common axle for the front wheels) would have significantly extended the front section. Auto-steer also enables tight turning throughout the customer’s facilities. Each of the upper decks at the front and rear shields as much of the running gear as possible, and minimizes anything protruding beyond the decks that could cause potential injury to workers walking nearby.
The hand actuated contact brake on the rear wheels positively locks the wheels into place when the trailer is not being moved. An 8” square opening in the lower deck catches loose fluid and material through a spill collection system provided by the user.
Dual mounted wheels achieve the required trailer capacity of 50,000# while keeping the front and rear decks as low as possible. Single wheels would have greatly increased the deck height as the wheel diameter would have been much larger.
Technical Specifications on the cart:
- Two-wheel Auto-Steer compression system trailer
- 60” wide by 140” long envelope, lowered deck is 60” wide by 50” long
- Capacity: 50,000 pounds
- Drop deck frame for low center of gravity and work height
- Heavy duty loop in the front
- 18” by 8” wheels in the rear, 15” by 9” wheels in the front. Rear wheels have hand activated contact brake.
- Paint: Safety Yellow
- Model no. XT2546