Trailer Design Consulting

New models and custom or specialty trailers rarely match a standard drawing. Design consulting looks at the whole trailer before it is built: how the load sits, where the axles go, whether the structure carries it, and whether the finished rig will be legal on the roads it will use.

Trailer types

Equipment and lowboy trailers, livestock trailers, tank and bulk trailers, mobile equipment platforms, and other one-off or low-volume builds. New models and product-line changes for trailer manufacturers are a good fit too.

What gets looked at

• Load cases: empty, loaded, partial and off-center loads
• Axle location, ratings and load sharing
• Tongue, kingpin or fifth-wheel load
• Main frame and crossmember capacity
• Federal bridge formula and state limits
• Drawing mark-ups and a written summary of findings

Good time to call

At concept stage, before the frame is built, when changes are cheapest. Ongoing design support for manufacturers and reviews of existing trailers are also available.