What is the difference between Groundbearing and Non Groundbearing?

Just curious... I don't own a lowboy but have been considering the investment. Also if anyone has an opinion of the pros/cons of hiring a heavy hauler for each move versus owning/moving yourself I would love to hear that.

Acivil said:

Just curious... I don't own a lowboy but have been considering the investment. Also if anyone has an opinion of the pros/cons of hiring a heavy hauler for each move versus owning/moving yourself I would love to hear that.

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First the difference between ground bearing and non ground bearing is that a ground bearing trailer would have some kind of a "foot" in the gooseneck to raise the trailer up, verses a non ground bearing which splits the weight between the tractor and trailer and raises the trailer without contacting the ground. The down side of a ground bearing trailer is that you need a really solid surface to raise a heavily loaded trailer, and it could damage freshly paved surface.

Most contractors own their own lowboys as a matter of convienence, you need to decide how much that is worth to you. Otherwise you may wait for someone else to move for you. It is a big "indirect" expense that probably will not pay back, except for to minimize lost time with your equipment waiting to move.

We currently have a ground bearing lowboy. I've loaded a 60,000 pound excavator on our 70,000 lbs. rated trailer with no problem. You just have to run your load to the back of the trailer before you lift it up. As for damage to the road even a older local road will get a dent in it when you pick up something heavy. The ground bearing trailers are usualy cheaper but the first time you get hung up in a high spot in a road you will be screaming for a non-ground bearing trailer. Trust me I know, stuck crossing an intersection with traffic honking while your trying to jack your trailer up and put shims in. Those days suck.

Welcome to the Forums daveigou!:drinkup

we call ground bearing trailers "cookie" cutters"...on a hot day on asphalt...they can make a mess

Please please stay away from a "ground bearing" trailer. I wouldn't have one even if someone gave it to me!!! I would not wish on even the devil himself owning one of those trailers.

Some ply-wood, wood lagging, scrap-wood has work'd well. The time's that i did not use'd, is when i'v mark'd the gound.

Oh Dear , I absolutely Hate ground bearing lowboys . I have shoved 3 feet of wood in the ground , Punched holes in asphalt , cracked concrete .

Broke a 6" water main once . Got lucky and got off of it before the show started .

Run Away from a ground bearing trailer

.......(This is my personal opinion)

use the long'st- wide wood possible, same way a crane use's it's out-rigger's.

We've pretty well stated our thoughts on the trailer, as for owning your own lowboy, do you already have a truck to pull it with? Someone to operate it? That won't knock down a bridge? Will you have to pull the truck off of other work to move the load? How often do you need to move? Lots of pros and cons to way.

There is an advantage to having you own , You don't have to wait on some one else . It can haul something besides equipment . I love being independent of someone else .

However real life gets in the way sometimes . Liability for any damage is a problem . If an outside company damages your stuff they should foot the bill for repairs .

Also depending on what you have in mind , Do you know how to go about buying permits . Will your present insurance cover a lowboy .

Little things can turn into big ones with a lowboy . Is there an elevated railroad track along your path and will the trailer clear it (The railroad's hate that)

Thanks for all of the replies! I used to just do a few big jobs a year, at which time it was clearly not necessary. Nowadays I find myself doing 2 weeks over here, a week over there, 2 days over here, 6 weeks over there... If I move iron to different jobs once a month and the average job gets 6 pieces thats 72 moves a year. If each move costs around 300 bones, thats 21600.00. I dont own a tractor now, and dont look forward to the fuel/tag/insurance/permit hassle, but I also feel that being nimble, and efficiently so is paramount in tough times like these. I have grown my fleet considerably, but shrunk my staff considerably also... I plan on running the truck myself unless I am too busy in which case I would hire a driver. I also have close friends who are in the contract hauling business, and can buy a dump trailer and put the truck on contract hauling when I am not using it (should I decide to hire a full time driver). My insurance will not be an issue, and I do have access to a pool of decent drivers who are working part time for other contractors, I also feel that having a dump trailer would make the tractor more versitile in terms of hauling rock/dirt/ect. and am thinking that it looks worthwhile.