Enclosed Trailers

As you probably know, a enclosed trailer is basically a massive box with wheels.  Unlike a shipping container, however, enclosed trailers are connected to a tractor vehicle directly instead of being loaded onto a flatbed.  A enclosed trailer does not make a good candidate for sea or air transit, and anything shipped by enclosed trailers will have to be transferred to another platform to travel over the ocean.  Like a standard shipping container, however, most enclosed trailerss are equipped with a wooden floor and many also have rails or tracks inside that can be used to secure a load.

The only type of material a enclosed trailers is not likely to carry is a liquid, hence the term “enclosed trailers.”  The exception is liquids that are packaged in containers specifically designed for liquid shipping. Your enclosed trailers shipper may have these available for service, or you may have to procure some on your own.

If you are the responsible party for loading and unloading the enclosed trailerss, do everything you can to secure the shipment for transportation.  This is the one place you can’t afford a half-hearted effort.  The driver will not be willing accept liability for damages to cargo on an uneventful trip if he or she did not personally load your shipment.  Here are some tips for protecting your shipment:

• If you have many small or medium sized containers, it is best to have them palletized and preferably shrink-wrapped for extra security. This will also speed the loading and unloading process at the dock.
• Make sure to secure everything to the floor or walls of the enclosed trailers with ties.  If the enclosed trailers operates at a partial capacity, movement around the cargo area can be disastrous.
• Use padding or shipping blankets if the cargo needs to be protected from any sort of superficial damage.
• If you have particularly fragile items to ship, you will probably be best served by a enclosed trailers equipped with air-ride suspension.
• International deliveries may be handled several ways. Some enclosed trailers operators will have the appropriate license to transport goods over borders.  In other cases, a two-part shipment in which the enclosed trailers is dropped off and picked up at the border might be more practical cost-effective.