How a Dump Trailer Can Come in Handy

If you have not made use of a dump trailer before now, you may have questions about how to choose a dump trailer, how to use a dump trailer, and why you should purchase one. The right trailer can offer you many benefits, but there are some things you need to consider before buying.

Where Can You Use a Dump Trailer?

Whether you own a professional construction company or are carrying out some renovations on your own home, dump trailers are useful for hauling building materials home from the store and carrying away debris that results from demolition. If you own a farm, a dump trailer can make your work easier from planting season to harvest time.

Maybe you don’t own a farm per se but you own an extensive piece of property and you want to keep it looking its best. A dump trailer is also useful for yard maintenance, especially during the fall and winter.

What Can You Use a Dump Trailer For?

Now you know where you can use a dump trailer, but what applications does it have in these various locations? If you are using it for fall yard maintenance, the dump trailer can help you to haul away tree limbs that have fallen or that you have pruned away in the interest of improving the health of your tree. You can also use a trailer to transport bags of leaves to the appropriate dump site.

Fall is a good time to apply mulch to trees in the interest of retaining moisture in the soil and getting ready for spring. If you have many trees on your property, you probably need a lot of mulch. A dump trailer helps you to bring it to your property and then apply it where needed.

On a farm, you sometimes need to add more topsoil. A dump trailer makes transporting dirt easier. You can also use a dump trailer to haul and apply fertilizer. Depending on what you grow and when you harvest, a dump trailer could also help you take your goods to market.

On a construction site, you need materials such as fill dirt, gravel, Portland cement, sand, and rocks. These materials are heavy and cumbersome to transport. A dump trailer makes it much easier.

How Much Gravel Can a Dump Trailer Carry?

It depends on the size of the trailer, but generally speaking, a dump trailer can haul approximately 3,000 pounds and up depending on payload of gravel. This is about half as much as a standard pick-up truck can haul, and a pick-up doesn’t have the capability to elevate its cargo bed to deliver the material precisely where it is needed.

What Else Should You Consider Before Purchasing a Dump Truck?

The purchase of a dump truck represents a significant investment. Therefore, you need to be sure you choose one that meets your needs. Here are some things to take into consideration:

• Metal Thickness: Thicker metal is better if you intend to haul heavy cargo such as rocks and gravel.
• Side Wall Height: Dump trailers usually have walls 24 inches high. If this isn’t tall enough, you may require side wall extensions that you can either purchase or build yourself.
• Lifting Mechanism: There are many different lifting mechanisms available, but if preserving battery power is important to you, choose a gravity-down mechanism rather than a power-down. The former saves battery power by letting gravity do all the work.
• Towing Limits: Calculate the combined weight of the trailer and the material you intend to haul most often. Make sure you are within your personal licensing limits, what your towing vehicle is capable of pulling, as well as the ball mount and receiver.

McFarlane Trailer Sales and Service offers new and used trailers for sale. No matter what type of trailer you are in the market for, we are sure to be of help. Check out the dump trailers we have available.