Proper load distribution on a trailer is very important, especially when you are preparing to haul more than 4 or 5 cars at the same time over a long distance.

1. Proper Load Distribution
On A Trailer

2. It does not matter
if you have to haul camping
or hiking gear, fishing boat &
equipment, heavy goods, or 4 to
5 cars at the same time with your
trailer, the foremost & vital thing that
you need to take into consideration
always is that you must equalize the
load properly.

3. Besides that,
preparing both the tow vehicle
and the trailer to ensure a safe journey is
quintessential. The manner in which you keep
the load, particularly cars, on your hauling
trailer would substantially dictate how your
truck moves throughout the journey.

4. Main Reasons For Trailer Accidents

5. Nearly every year in USA, multiple cases of accidents associated with trailers are
reported, and the prime reasons behind these mishaps are fishtailing & swaying.
A trailering setup fishtails mainly due to insufficient percentage of tongue weight
compared to gross weight of the trailer. In order to avoid fishtailing, the tongue
weight should be about 10 to 15 percent of the GVWR. However, it is to be noted
that a 5th wheel can increase the same requirement to nearly 25 percent.

6. When it comes to swaying, the only way to reduce it is by placing the
load close to and ahead of the trailer’s axle. Besides that, each and every
car must be effectively tied down to the trailer bed with the help of
suitable ratcheting strips. Doing so would prevent them from shifting
side to side or front and back when you are driving, be it a 5 car hauler
trailer or a 6 car one.

7. Problems
Related
To In
Cornering
&
Hard
Braking

8. When towing a cargo as extremely heavy as 4 or 5 cars simultaneously, problems
associated with in cornering and hard braking are bound to surface without the
right precautions. Hauling heavy loads automatically increases the tongue weight,
which in turn, reduces loading on front axle when steering & braking are needed
the most. However, you can follow several tips to counteract these phenomena.
First, load the bulkiest of cars onto the trailer and then securely tie them at several
angles. Take care that you begin with the facade portion of the trailer and then
place ⅗th of total weight before the front axle. In other words, it is important to
evenly distribute the weight from one side to another.

9. UNDERSTANDING
LOADED
TRAILER WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

10. In order to comprehend the distribution of weight on a trailer bed, we would check out an appropriate example.
Let’s say that a properly loaded trailer which is 18 feet in length has a wheelbase of 146-inch and weighs nearly
2200 pounds. It would normally have a tongue weight equal to or less than 300 pounds. Nevertheless, the rear
portion of the tow truck can squat because of tongue weight, and that would decrease exit angle as well as rear
ground clearance. The front part would get lightened too, and there will be less contact between the road and the
front tires, leading to uneven braking and stability.

11. The best way to prevent non-uniform load distribution on a trailer is by equalising the load on all four tires
using air bags. It would remove squat, restore balance and also level & stabilise the vehicle.