Training customers how to use the trailer they are using to haul your equipment is just as important as showing them how to properly use that piece of equipment. There are many facets involved when renting out a trailer, including correctly sizing the trailer, loading and securing the equipment it is hauling, and connecting it safely to the tow vehicle. Rental store employees, as well as customers, need to know the ins and outs of trailer safety.
When a customer calls to rent a trailer or a piece of equipment that will require a trailer, Kevin Miller, safety manager trainer, Best Line Equipment, State College, Pa., suggests asking these questions first.
“What size truck are you using? What size trailer will you need for the equipment you are hauling? Will it be able to handle the weight?” he says.
“It could be that they are renting a trailer to haul their own products so be sure to ask about that. Asking these questions can help rental employees correctly size the trailer that is needed. Those questions are very critical,” he says.
The tow rating for a vehicle can be found in the owner’s manual. This provides the maximum weight the tow vehicle can tow when fully loaded. According to the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) — which hosts the annual Trailer Safety Week — the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the trailer should never exceed the tow rating of the tow vehicle, even if the trailer is not loaded to its maximum capacity.
Miller is a retired Pennsylvania State Trooper and commercial motor vehicle safety inspector. During his time as an officer, he focused on commercial vehicle safety for 23 years and vehicle fraud for 16 years.
When it comes to selecting the correct size trailer he says, “It’s not just the safety side but also the regulation side because there are different registration requirements. The GVWR of the power unit and the GVWR rating of the trailer being towed determines what class of license you will need.”
For trailers 10,000 lbs. GVWR or less
- Locate the statement, “The weight of cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.,” on the vehicle’s placard.
- This figure equals the available amount of cargo load capacity.
- Determine the weight of cargo being loaded on the trailer. This weight should never exceed the available cargo load capacity listed on the trailer’s tire placard.
- The trailer’s tire placard refers to the Tire Information Placard attached adjacent to, or near, the trailer’s VIN (Certification) label at the left front of the trailer.
For trailers more than 10,000 lbs. GVWR
- Trailers more than 10,000 lbs. GVWR are not required to have a tire information placard on the trailer and may not have one installed.
- Determine the empty weight of the trailer by weighing it using a public scale or other means.
- Locate the GVWR of the trailer on its VIN (Certification) label.
- Subtract the empty weight of the trailer from the GVWR stated on the VIN label. That weight is the maximum available cargo capacity of the trailer and may not be safely exceeded.
Properly loading equipment on the trailer can help greatly reduce the risk of losing control of the trailer while traveling. The first rule of thumb is to never overload