SPECIAL - TRUCKS AND TRAILERS: All in a Day's Work

Lawn and landscape contractors need a lot of stuff to get their jobs done and it’s  not feasible – or economical – to make multiple pit stops during the day to load and unload equipment. As a result, irrigation sprinklers tag along to mowing jobs and zero-turn riding mowers make appearances at water feature installation sites.
 
Many contractors invest in trailers to simplify their hauling needs. And just more than one-third of contractors invested in new trailers just last year, whether to add to their fleet or replace old models, according to Lawn & Landscape research. Manufacturers and contractors agree that trailers can prevent equipment theft, prolong equipment life and keep tools easily accessible and organized. Certain types of trailers can even serve as mobile billboards to advertise a company and its services. Trailer customizations are endless, making it easy for a contractor to invest in the perfect trailer for his business.
 
“Transporting your people and equipment is an important part of the landscape industry,” says Tony Bass, president of Super Lawn Trucks, Bonaire, Ga. “It needs to be done in a safe, dependable way.”

TRAILER TYPES. Customizations aside, there are three main types of landscape trailers.
 
The open utility trailer is the most basic and is used primarily to haul equipment. A higher-end open utility trailer can have racks located on its side to mount hand-held equipment, and most contractors choose to add job boxes, which commonly measure 84 inches across and hold various other hand-held tools and accessories, says Frank Calpalbo, national sales manager of Alumne Manufacturing, Wildwood, Fla. The price of open trailers range from $3,000 to $6,000, depending on the amenities, he adds.
 
The green industry, though, is moving toward enclosed trailers, says Mark Bonek, division sales manager for Wells Cargo, Elkhark, Ind. The trend originated in the Northeast, perhaps due to the harsher weather conditions, and has since moved throughout the country. The main benefit of enclosed trailers is that they add to the life of equipment by protecting it from the elements, as well as from debris on the road. “Equipment in enclosed trailers is not exposed to harmful UV rays, snow and rain,” Bonek says.
 
Many contractors invest in enclosed trailers to prevent theft, which is a rising concern. More than 62 percent of contractors have experienced some type of equipment theft, according to a recent poll conducted by Lawn & Landscape. “With an enclosed trailer, someone can’t just walk up and pluck a string trimmer off of a truck,” Bonek says.
 
Because the equipment is enclosed and protected, some landscape contractors utilize it as a “warehouse on wheels,” Bass says, which can cut down on other storage expenses. Also, by not having to load and unload the trailer each day, Bass says contractors can save as much as $8,000 to $10,000 a year in labor costs. An enclosed trailer can range from $5,000 to $10,000, Bonek says. 
 
Dump trailers are used for loading and unloading material like mulch, dirt, clippings and gravel. Their sizes  range from 7,000 to 24,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight to fulfill the payload of any landscape contractor, and they cost as much as $17,000, Capalbo says.
 
An alternate to the dump trailer, debris dumpers, or dump hoists, are popular additions to enclosed trailers. These devices hold clippings and other items to be discarded right off the side of the trailer, and can come in different sizes depending on how much debris a company usually has, Bass says. A dump hoist adds, on average, 25 percent to the total cost of mounted equipment, says John Lackey, director of national account sales, Knapheide Co., Quincy, Ill.

SIZE ‘EM UP. On the small end, enclosed trailers measure about 6 feet by 10 feet. The most common size trailer in the landscape industry measures 8 feet by 20 feet, which generally carries two riding mowers and a push mower, along with a job box to hold various hand-held tools, Bonek says. Although manufactures agree that the biggest trailer that can still be maneuvered through a residential area measures 8½ feet by 24 feet, trailers can be made up to 48 feet long.
 
Trailers any larger than 8 to 8½ feet wide can interfere with daily business because they become too difficult to maneuver in average urban areas, Bass says. “If the standard parking space is 10 feet wide by 18 feet long, why would anyone want to work with a trailer that’s 12 feet wide? It would just make what they have to do everyday that much harder,” he says. When contractors come to his business with requests for wide trailers that would do more harm than good, Bass coaches them along toward a more reasonable choice.
 
In terms of length, 20 to 24 feet is the most common, Capalbo says, and the biggest concern is the longer the trailer, the more brake power it will take to stop it. “The truck you drive has to be heavy enough to stop the trailer behind it or accidents may happen,” he says. “It’s important to keep the trailer and the truck brakes synchronized.”
 
Most trucks capable of pulling trailers are 10,000 to 26,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight, falling in classes three to six, depending on the trailer’s dimensions, Bass says. Some of today’s more modern trucks have the capability to adjust the breaks of the trailer from inside the cab to get the most accurate reading, says Dave Spence, director of commercial products for GMC, Detroit. A truck’s manual will have step-by-step directions on how to perform this task, and some trucks can relay to the driver when the adjustment needs to be done by indicating it on the dashboard, Spence adds.
 
TIPS TO PICK. As with most landscape equipment, there are a few factors a contractor should consider when choosing the right trailer for his business. One is to have a list of all of the tools a crew will carry on the trailer, Bass says. This can help the contractor choose the right length and width, and, if customizing the truck, create a storage package specifically for each piece of equipment. Having the weight, length and class of the truck intended to pull the trailer is also important to make sure they are compatible, he says.
 
Manufactures stress the importance of not buying a trailer that is too small to suit their hauling needs – now or in the future. “When purchasing a trailer, it’s wise to keep in mind that a business can, and should, grow, so it’s a good idea to buy one that can be expanded if need be,” Bonek says. It’s also important to invest in a trailer with a ramp sturdy enough to handle riding equipment, which can exceed 1,700 pounds, he adds. Some trailer ramps are made of an outdoor pressure-treated plywood, which holds up to the moisture that can come from equipment, clippings and mulch.
 
Particularly on enclosed trailers, manufacturers encourage a contractor to come prepared with a logo and other company information to include on the trailer to serve as a mobile advertisement. The more consistent the colors and display, the more effective it is, Bass says. “The long-term impact of marketing with the same logo and color scheme has been shown to strengthen a business,” he says. “If possible, the logo on the trailer should match company uniforms, business cards, Web site, brochures and letterhead for the greatest impact.”
 
The customization of landscape trucks has doubled in the last 10 years, Lackey says. Logo marketing can help potential clients get a landscape company’s information quickly and easily, from across a parking lot or across the street. Some contractors have even been able reduce the advertising they spend in other areas because they can use their trailers to generate leads. “Some of my customers report that once they begin to use a large billboard-like enclosed vehicle, they’re amazed at the impact on their marketing,” Bass says. “They’re just instantly perceived as more professional.”

Logo packages can cost around $1,700, and include details on both sides and the back of a trailer and the front cab of the truck, Bass says. Some companies also offer changeable fleet graphics that allow contractors to change the logo on their trailers based on things like the seasons and promotional offers. Cost of changeable customizations is about $2,500, Bass says, and about 30 percent of his clientele opts for this logo package.

BETTER WITH AGE. Recent advancements in trailers aim to make them easier on equipment. Manufacturers have begun installing vinyl-coated equipment racks inside enclosed trailers to better keep equipment in place during rides down bumpy roads. “When you’re driving down the road, trailers bump up and down meaning the equipment bounces around too,” Bonek says. “Improved racks hold equipment in place more securely, which can prolong the life of equipment.”
 
Other advancements address the problem of trailer corrosion. Electrolysis barriers are installed in some trailers to prevent corrosion of metal panels that rub against each other as the trailer moves over time. Barriers are also being installed to prohibit mulch, fertilizer and clippings from eroding a trailer’s sides and frame, Bonek says.