Is it better to purchase an open trailer or an enclosed cargo trailer? Many customers wonder which is the better option when purchasing a trailer for business or personal use. Both will get the job done but for today we are going to talk about the benefits of enclosed cargo trailers. Enclosed trailers which are referred to as cargo trailers are extremely versatile trailers. These trailers provide some real advantages that open trailers could never match. At the end of this post, we will also point out some of the cons to the enclosed cargo trailer so that you can make the best decision based on experiences and customer feedback from 28 years in the trailer business.
The most obvious differentiator in cargo trailers vs. open trailers is that the enclosed trailer protects your cargo from the elements. If the cargo or goods you are hauling are required to stay dry and clean the obvious answer is that you should only look at enclosed cargo trailers. If not we will continue to look at many aspects of the cargo trailer to help you make the best decision about which trailer would be best for your application.
One of the first questions that we like to speak to customers about is what they will be hauling. Many customers have a clear objective about their equipment, their loads, materials, pallets, automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, or whatever it is that they will be putting into their enclosed cargo trailer. With this information, we will come up with an idea of the weight of the cargo going into the trailer. We will then talk to the customer about how the actual weight of the cargo trailer combined with the actual trailer weight will determine the required trailer axle size. For example, if you are planning on carrying a show car in your enclosed 8.5'X24' 24 tandem axle equipped with (2) 3500lb axles, or 7000 (GVWR) gross vehicle weight rating.
This 24' enclosed trailer would weigh approximately 2750 lbs, and the show car weighs 3800 lbs that total would be 6550 lbs. You would only have an additional 450 lbs available capacity. This means you would be very close to the maximum capacity of the cargo trailer capacity. In this example, we would recommend that the customer would recommend increasing the axle size to at least (2) 5200lb axles. This would increase your enclosed trailer load capacity to 10,400 lbs. If we use the same example to calculate your cargo trailer capacity the math would be a (GVWR) gross vehicle weight rating of 10,400 lbs <minus> the load; show car 3800 lbs, and the enclosed trailer now increased to 3000lbs due to the bigger 5200 lb axles we would have 3600 lbs remaining capacity available for tools, equipment, or whatever else we needed to put inside the trailer. Trailer axle size is critically important. Many customers do not understand that accidents can happen due to overloading axles. People can get injured, cargo trailers totaled, and equipment totally lost in rollovers.
Another important component of the enclosed cargo trailer is the frame construction of the trailer. The best trailers have solid steel frames, and 1” square steel uprights every 16”, in the walls and ceiling. This type of construction provides the maximum structural integrity for the cargo trailer which in turn leads to a long-lasting trailer and properly protects your cargo. The alternative to steel beams is cheap sheet metal uprights that are folded over to create uprights. They do not provide nearly as much structural strength as “true” 1” square steel uprights every sixteen inches. You can truly feel the difference in the walls when you push or hit a wall with true steel uprights. In addition to a well-built steel frame, and 1” steel uprights are insulated, or reinforced walls that have plywood, or insulation, or both to provide an excellent protective barrier from the elements. This adds structural integrity and protects your cargo from rain, snow, ice, and debris.
There are different types of skins available for enclosed cargo trailers. These aluminum skins are available in many colors and thicknesses. Most manufacturers will provide red, black, and white cargo trailers to the market at no additional charge. These are popular cargo trailer colors for business fleets and consumers. The most popular enclosed cargo trailer color is white for companies and fleets. White allows a great background for companies, or individuals to market their brand or logo on a white surface that really stands out for marketing or branding. In addition to being an excellent enclosed trailer “billboard” or free advertising. Enclosed cargo trailers manufactured in white are excellent in reflecting the sun which means that the cargo inside the cargo trailer will be cooler than that of a black trailer, or darker color.
Loading and access doors are really important to consider in purchasing an enclosed trailer. There are two types of loading doors available for enclosed trailers, barn doors, and ramp doors. Both are excellent for cargo trailers, but both offer pros and cons. The ramp door is very easy for loading and unloading motorcycles, ATVs, and equipment that needs to be wheeled into the cargo trailer. The barn door is excellent for loading and unloading with forklifts. In the case of a ramp door-enclosed trailer, a forklift is unable to drive itself up the ramp into the cargo trailer. On the other hand, a barn door on an enclosed trailer allows for the cargo trailer doors to be swung wide open and the forklift can access the rear deck of the cargo trailer and load pallets into the back of the cargo trailer. Both door configurations on cargo trailers are great. It is important to determine which is the best option for your application.
There are so many choices regarding cargo trailers. Yes, they all look the same - a box with wheels. But once you look a little deeper, you start to see major differences. We've focused on only one brand for over 20 yrs - Cargo Craft of Texas. Early on we saw the differences that set them apart from all other manufacturers. Build quality was the first thing. Then we saw the steel tube uprights and roof supports while a majority of the other manufacturer is using thin "hat" channels. We loved the triple tube tongue, and the steel roof (everyone else uses aluminum). Then there were the little things like rear stabilizer jacks, drip caps over the doors, bar locks as well as RV latches on their doors, At that point, we were hooked.
Cargo Craft will build sizes from 8' to 32' in length with all types of designs, axles, colors, interior options, wheels, etc. Come by our facility and take a look at the inventory, or design a custom-enclosed trailer of your own.
