For our current shipping job, we transported a trailer manufactured in 1989 that is 38 feet in length and 7 feet 8 inches wide from Angola, NY to Flint, MI. This trailer was shipped over a distance of 294 miles at a cost of $1,501.00 which comes to $5.11 per mile.
This trailer did not tow behind the truck of the transporter like other bumper pull utility trailers do. This trailer was simply loaded on the deck of the transporter’s vehicle.
The Route
The 294-mile journey from Angola to Flint is in a northward direction from the western coast of the Great Lakes. Typically, the carriers begin at Angola, which is south of Buffalo in Lake Erie, and move west along the I-90 route, through Erie, Pennsylvania, and into Ohio.
Then, the route heads further toward Cleveland before turning north on the I-75 and US-23 route to go past Toledo and enter Michigan through the state border. Finally, the carrier moves to the north from US-23 all the way to Flint, which is located on the east end of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
The 294-mile route is a relatively shorter route. However, the $5.11/mile price is more dependent on the special nature of the shipment than the distance.
Why This Trailer Needed to Be Loaded Rather Than Towed
The 38-foot trailer weighing 2,400 pounds when empty easily falls within the realm of regular towing, although the present one could not be hitched and towed as a roadworthy trailer. If the trailer is not in condition to be towed on its wheels owing to any problems like poor condition of the tires, failure of a bearing, or other issues related to mechanics, the carrier has to use a flatbed or step-deck trailer and haul the trailer as freight.
This makes the whole task a different ball game altogether. The towing of a trailer consists of hitching and towing, while hauling it as freight means handling a 38-foot trailer weighing several thousand pounds as an oversized load.
How the Carrier Winched an 8,000 Pound Load
Given the weight of the trailer itself at 2,400 pounds and the additional 5,600 pounds of foam board insulation still sitting inside the trailer, the carrier needed to manage a load weighing approximately 8,000 pounds in total. Instead of using the wheels of the cargo trailer to ascend onto the deck, the carrier used a winch attached to the frame of the hauling trailer.
Given the fact that the insulation load never left the trailer, this meant that the carrier not only had to manage the weight of the insulation itself but had to manage the placement of the weight in the trailer as well. This is due to the fact that an insulated trailer will have a different center of gravity than an empty trailer.
Why Height and Weight Change the Price
Loaded, the unit was about 10 feet high from the ground, including the trailer and its load. The height factor, together with the trailer’s 38-foot length, along with the weight carried, makes the shipment go beyond the category of regular towable trailer transportation and into the category for oversized and winch-load cargo.
Transporters capable of handling winch load cargo for heavy and non-towable trailers are not as numerous as tow-away transporters. The added loading and securing time for such a trailer does not matter whether the distance to be covered is long or short. It is the key reason why the 294-mile haul costs more than the average rate per mile of a roadworthy trailer.
Transport Summary
- Origin: Angola, NY 14006
- Destination: Flint, MI 48506
- Distance: 294 miles
- Service cost: $1,501.00
- Cost per mile: $5.11
- Equipment: 1989 trailer, 38′ x 7’8″, 2,400 lbs dry
- Cargo: Foam board insulation, 5,600 lbs
- Total loaded height: 10 feet from ground
- Route: I-90 west through Erie, PA and Cleveland, OH, then I-75/US-23 north into Flint
