Don't Act on Trailer Safety Now, You'll Hate Yourself Later

Wood is often used for trailer floors, but it can be damaged. Repairs can be expensive, so it's best to prevent damage. Today, we'll talk about what can harm your trailer floor and how to avoid it.

Many people may not know a trailer's floor capacity or may confuse it with the maximum loading capacity. The floor structure is most stressed during loading and unloading, when a forklift's weight is concentrated on its front wheels. This can put a lot of pressure on the floor. In fact, the pressure from the front tires can be 250-400 PSI, while the pressure from 26 pallets weighing 1600 pounds each is less than 1 PSI!

A floor's capacity is how much weight it can hold. It's measured in pounds. The most common capacities are 18,000, 20,000, 22,000, and 24,000 pounds. Some special semi-trailers can hold up to 32,000 pounds. To figure out a floor's capacity, you need to know the maximum weight in pounds that a forklift's front wheels will put on the floor when it's loaded to the max. You can find this information in the technical specifications booklet that comes with the forklift when you buy it. For example, a Yale GP0100VX series forklift with a 10,000-lb capacity will put a weight of 22,400 pounds on the front wheels when it's loaded to the max. This tells you that the semi-trailer's floor rating should be at least 22,000 pounds.

After considering the above, it's important to also pay attention to other details about the forklifts that are used. These include the length of the forks, if clamps or other tools are used instead of the forks, the width and type of tires (pneumatic or hard sole), and how many tires and in what configuration. These are all factors that impact the durability of your semi-trailer's floor and should be considered when choosing the floor system.

Besides the technical details of the forklift used, other points to consider include how often it's used, the conditions it's used in, and how long you want it to last. These details will help you determine the weight capacity of your floors and which protection options you want to add.

Questions to Ask

To make sure you get the right semi-trailer floor, ask the manufacturer's representative and engineers about:

• How thick the floor is
• What type of floor it is: standard or composite
• How many crossbeams there are
• How many screws are used
• How the floor is anchored to the trailer walls to protect against moisture

When you talk to the representative, they will probably ask you about:

• What you're transporting: small boxes, big rolls of paper, or steel rolls?
• How you're transporting it: in a full truckload (FTL) or less-than-truckload (LTL)?
• How often you'll load and unload the trailer each week
• How long the product will last

It's important to figure out the right floor capacity for what you need, so you don't damage your trailer or use a trailer that's too strong for what you're carrying. If you use a trailer with too high a floor capacity, you'll spend more on manufacturing and fuel costs than you need to.

We would enjoy hearing from you; let’s start a dialog!

For more information, insights, or conversations regarding your forklift or material handling needs. You can visit our online contact form, call us at 763-425-9066, or email [email protected]. We are also on Twitter, @ToyotaEquipment or @KyleThill

We would welcome the opportunity to address your material handling questions or concerns. Toyota Lift of Minnesota works extremely hard to be your partner and material handling consultant. Remember this: "you have a guy" in the forklift and material handling businesses.

Are you located outside of Minnesota or Wisconsin? Find your local authorized Toyota Forklift Dealer through their dealer locator.

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