The modern manufacturing and farming sectors in the United States are enormous, but all those finished good and foodstuffs need to be transported somehow. This is the work of the freight delivery industry, and many carrier companies today offer a variety of vehicles for the job. Larger companies boast naval ships that can deliver many tons of goods in steel shipping containers and export them around the globe. Other companies have freight trains to offer, or jets that can make very fast air deliveries over any terrain. Meanwhile, semi trucks can handle the rest, and even small carrier companies can afford to buy and maintain a fleet of them. A truck carrier company’s owner, meanwhile, can sometimes look up trailers for sale in their area, and find used trailers for sale or even new trailers for sale and purchase one. Semi-trailers are often generic for typical cargo, but some are designed for specialty work. This should be factored in when a company owner is looking for a used trailer for sale.
Truck Trailers
Most of today’s carrier companies are small, but even they can afford to find and buy s0ome trailers for sale to expand their fleets. What sort should they get? Some cargo, such as electronics or furniture or books, can be delivered in “regular” trailers, which may range from 28 feet to 53 feet or so. Others are more specialized, such as reefer trailers. These are more like freezers on wheels, featuring insulation in their walls and air conditioning units to chill the interior anywhere from 70 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. They can range from 38-53 feet long and may be as tall as 13.5 feet, and weigh up to 44,000 pounds. Such reefer units are hugely popular, and their worldwide market is growing fast. Experts say that from 2016 to 2022, that market may grow at a CAGR of 4.8% and hit a value of $7.65 billion by the year 2022. Most often, these trailers are used to deliver cold-sensitive food and groceries, from frozen processed food to meat and dairy.
Other trailers are geared for carrying hazardous materials, such as dry ice (deadly carbon dioxide vapors), canisters of oil, or even nuclear waste or fuel rods, or toxic sludge, not to mention liquid nitrogen. Such trailers should be kept in good shape so that they do not leak or distress the hazardous contents, and they often have warning labels on them. Driving those trucks, or loading or unloading their contents, often calls for special training and equipment, such as gas masks, full body suits, gloves, and the like. OSHA offers online training for such work, and a worker can get a certificate.
Buy a Trailer
As for finding trailers for sale, a carrier company owner can use the Internet to find local trailer models for sale, and narrow down the search to find a specialized trailer, such as a reefer or one designed to carry liquid nitrogen. The buyer may also have a preference on whether the trailer is new or used, or prefer trailers over or under a certain size. New trailers are the most expensive, but they are always in good condition, and they will have factory warranties, too. Used trailers for sale will probably have some wear and tear and have slightly outdated features, but they may be bought for a discount price. A buyer is urged to look over these used trailers for sale in person, to check for any wear and tear and double-check that all of its hardware is working correctly. This ranges from the axles and brakes to brake lights and a reefer unit’s air conditioning units.
Big banks are reluctant to approve loans for truck trailer customers, so the buyer can turn to specialized truck lending companies, who are much more cooperative and understand the risks. Still, these lenders will look for red flags in the buyer’s financial history, and evaluate the buyer’s business and personal credit scores. Good credit means getting as much as 100% of the trailer’s value in a loan, and at a low interest rate. A buyer with mediocre or low credit can still get approved, but with higher interest rates, and get much less than 100% of the trailer’s value in the loan.
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