Lowboy Trailers

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Lowboy Trailers

An essential multi-billion dollar conglomerate, the transportation industry is vital to the economic growth for any business. Whether recreational or commercial, moving people and/or products safely from one point to another are critical to a company’s bottom line. Logistical uses of planes, cars and buses, railways, boats and ships, and trucks ensure efficient yet safe conveyance of goods and/or travelers. However, specifically in the trucking industry, lowboy trailers are one of the many vehicles used to transport heavy cargo and equipment for various commercial industries, including oil and gas, construction, energy, agricultural and military. A type of flatbed semi-trailer, a lowboy has a drop deck area between the rear wheels and the gooseneck that is lowered close to the ground. Its drop deck height allows for carrying legal freight up to 12 ft. tall; compared to other trailers, this advantageous feature makes lowboys unique yet functional for heavy items. Therefore, these trailers are very useful in transporting and handling industrial payloads and gears, such as cranes, bulldozers, smaller heavy-duty trucks and other hefty devices like transformers and oilfield equipment.

Brief History and Features

Invented in the 1920s, the first lowboy trailer had a fixed gooseneck i.e., front part of the trailer that attaches to the truck, a row of solid rubber rear tires, and rear-loaded ramp. In 1958, a detachable gooseneck (also called Removable Gooseneck or RGN) was introduced onto a lowboy, eventually allowing for front-loading of a heavy item onto the trailer. Its drop deck is typically made of treated wood panels and custom steel beams that can hold and carry objects weighing 20-100 tons. Lowboy trailers use the following types of suspension:

  • Spring Ride Suspension – Cheapest, rougher ride, more stress on trailer
  • Air-Ride Suspension – Very smooth ride, adjustable for lower and higher deck height enhancing trailer deck’s life
  • Hydraulic Suspension – More efficient, oil-filled system and greater variation of axle movement
  • Independent Suspension – Double wishbone, hydraulic suspension, wider steering angle, greater stability allowing for more travel

Types

Available for a wide range of tasks, the following types of lowboy trailers are:

  • Fixed Gooseneck (FGN) – Lightweight, longer deck height, lower than normal, low-profile tires, rear-loaded drop ramp, ramp-like and arched neck in a fixed position
  • Fixed-Neck – Linear, fixed neck, lightest weight more difficult to detach and rear-loading
  • Hydraulic Detachable Gooseneck (Hydraulic RGN or HRGN) – Most common and adaptable, fastest and easiest to detach, heavier and shorter deck, hydraulic-powered and removable arched neck
  • Mechanically-Detachable Gooseneck (Mechanical RGN or MRGN) – Lighter than hydraulic detachable gooseneck, less ease and slower to detach and ideal for long specialty transport
  • Mechanical Folding Gooseneck (MFGN) – Foldable gooseneck, converting to a front-loading, ground-level ramp.

Moore Truck and Equipment Co.

Founded in 1973 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Moore Truck and Equipment Co. is one of the nation’s most reputable suppliers of specialized, reliable trailers for transporting and handling oilfield equipment. With over 40 years of trusted service as well as knowledgeable expertise of the oil and gas industry, Moore Truck and Equipment Co. sells new and used oilfield trailers to all major national and international oilfield service companies. These heavy-duty, high-performance, customized trailers are designed and built for transporting and handling drilling rig components, natural gas compressors, and other heavy-duty oilfield equipment. In addition to lowboys, Moore Truck and Equipment Co. also has in its product inventory oilfield floats, jeeps, dollies, specialized heavy-haul trucks, boosters, highway floats, step decks, and cooler hauling trailers. Moore Truck and Equipment Co. has established solid commercial relationships with the following respected trailer manufacturers to ensure industry standard compliance and superior products such as Holden Trailers, Kayln-Siebert Trailers, Load King Trailers, Viking Trailers, Advanced Trailer, XL Specialized Trailers, Pitts Trailers and Blackstone Trailers. As an enterprise that values longstanding rapport, Moore Truck and Equipment Co. is fortunate to have a loyal customer base. These relationships with its recurring customers increase business and reinforce the attributes this great company is known for: quality, friendliness and efficiency.