Cargo trailers: how to choose and buy at a good price
A truck trailer, not a semi-trailer
A cargo trailer is coupled to a truck or tractor unit by a drawbar, while a semi-trailer rests on the fifth wheel. These are different things, with different requirements for the tractor and the papers. First make sure you need a trailer for a truck, not a semi-trailer.
Then choose the body type: curtain-sided suits various loads, a dropside is for long items and building materials, and a refrigerated or insulated one is for food.
What to put in your request
- Body type — curtain-sided, dropside, box, insulated.
- Make — for example Schwarzmüller, or any suitable one.
- Number of axles — 2 or 3.
- Load capacity — for example 20 tonnes.
- Body size — length, width, height.
- Year — from which year you are looking.
- Papers — registered, with the registration papers, import duty paid if imported.
- Technical condition — running, needs repair or in good condition.
- City and budget, if you want to state it.
Example: “I need a curtain-sided trailer for a truck, 2 axles, load capacity 20 tonnes, body about 7.7 m, from 2008, Schwarzmüller or similar. Papers in order, registered, technically sound. Adelaide, budget up to $14,000.”
What affects the price and the choice
First, the type and size of the body. Then the state of the frame, axles and brakes, and whether the curtain frame and gates are there. For curtain-sided trailers the condition of the steel frame, the sliding curtain and the cover matters: replacing it costs extra.
Always check that the trailer's load capacity matches the power of your truck and its permitted gross weight when coupled.
How to compare offers
- Compare the same sizes and number of axles.
- Ask about the age of the tyres and the state of the suspension and brakes.
- Check whether the cover, straps and spare wheel are included.
- Ask for photos of the frame from underneath and several from different sides.
If the trailer comes from abroad, do not forget customs clearance and registration: ask who does it and what is included in the price.
A trailer always works in a pair with a particular truck, so it helps to state its make, power and type of coupling in your request. The drawbar must fit in height and in the type of eye, and the brake system and the electrical socket must match the tractor. Otherwise you will have to buy adapters or rework the brakes, and that quickly eats the price difference.
How it works through BlaBlaPrice
Instead of calling around, create a request, and sellers answer on their own: what they offer, the price, terms, photos. The request is checked before it is shown, and you get hints on what to add. BlaBlaPrice shows the best-fitting offer first, with reviews of the seller. Sellers see their place and can improve their terms, so the price often turns out better. Contacts are opened only to the one you choose. More on the “How it works” page.
If you need another format, look at semi-trailers, tractor trailers or vending trailers.
