Trailer Knowledge
Practical guides for buying, selling, and maintaining semi-trailers.
What Trailer Specs Do I Need? A Guide to Reading Listings
Plate or sheet-and-post? Logistics posts or E-track? Swing doors or roll doors? Here's what the spec sheet on a trailer listing actually means.
What to Check Before Buying a Used Semi-Trailer
A used trailer can save serious money over new — if you know what to look for. Here's a practical inspection checklist before you buy.
Air Ride vs. Spring Suspension: What's the Difference?
Suspension type affects ride quality, cargo protection, and maintenance cost. Here's what air ride and spring suspension actually do differently.
Understanding Trailer VINs and What They Tell You
A trailer's VIN isn't just a serial number — it encodes the manufacturer, model, and year, and verifying it is one of the most important steps before buying used.
Flatbed vs. Step Deck vs. Lowboy: Choosing the Right Trailer
These three open-deck trailers look similar but are built for different cargo heights and weights. Here's how to tell them apart and pick the right one.
How Long Do Semi-Trailers Last? Lifespan and Maintenance Basics
A trailer's lifespan depends more on maintenance than age. Here's what typically determines how long one lasts, and the basics of keeping it running.
CARB Compliance for Trailers: Side Skirts, Undertray Devices, and the Law
California requires SmartWay-verified aerodynamic devices and low rolling resistance tires on most 53-foot dry van and refrigerated trailers. Here's what the law actually requires, when it applies, and how side skirts differ from undertray (UT1-type) systems.
CARB Compliance for Reefer Trailers: The Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) Rule
California regulates the diesel engine that runs a reefer trailer's refrigeration system separately from the trailer itself. Here's what CARB's TRU rule requires, how a unit becomes compliant, and how to tell which ones are.
Trucking, Freight, and Trailer Scams Currently Making the Rounds
Freight fraud and cargo theft have surged industry-wide, and trailer sales aren't immune. Here's what's actually being reported right now — fake listings, VIN cloning, double brokering, phishing — and how to avoid getting caught by it.
Trucking and Trailer Jargon: A Glossary of Terms and Nicknames
The same truck, trailer, or part often has three different names depending on who's talking. Here's a plain-language glossary of the terms, abbreviations, and slang you'll run into buying, selling, or talking shop in trucking.
Recap vs. New Trailer Tires: What the Studies Say, and How Brands Actually Compare
Trailer tires make up nearly half the rubber on a loaded rig, and they're the position most likely to be running a recap. Here's what the research actually says about retreaded trailer tires, how trailer tire brands compare, and how the industry's own tier rankings hold up to scrutiny.