Detachable Gooseneck Trailers "Lowboys"

 

I was out on my mountain bike last Friday when I came across a lowboy carrying a, um, is that a well drilling rig? If you aren't familiar with these trailers, you might wonder how they could possibly get that thing on and off of the trailer.

You'll notice that the cargo is parked in a low spot between the rear axles of the truck and the trailer axles...hence the name lowboy. If you're asking why they don't just make the trailer higher so that the whole thing is flat, you might want to visit 11foot8.com for some clues. 

Trucks in most states are limited to 13.5' or 14' in height, so finding a way to take 18" off of the deck height allows you to haul more types of loads and fit under more bridges, signs and other overhead obstacles.

But that lower deck leads to a new problem. How to get equipment on and off? Enter the hero of our story, the detachable gooseneck trailer. These trailers are built with a hydraulic system behind the tractor's rear axles that allows the front of the trailer deck to be lowered to the ground. The portion of the trailer in front of the deck can be decoupled and the truck can be moved away leaving the trailer looking much like a ramp. Now equipment can be driven on or off relatively easily.