“Landscapers should always look at having one tool that does two things,” says Jim Mandes, national sales manager for Pequea Machine.
This is often achieved by using multiple attachments with one piece of equipment, such as using a utility tractor to till and grade land. Manufacturers make aerating options for mowers so the two can happen simultaneously. But trailers are also tools that can double up on tasks to help you squeeze every penny from your investment.
Achieving efficiency
An often overlooked method to make trailers more efficient is to use a dump trailer as an equipment hauler. Mandes says using a low-profile dump trailer that opens “barn door style” allows landscapers to haul a skid steer to the site, then have an empty trailer for moving materials.
Some dumps, such as those manufactured by Pequea, have ramps built into the bed to make loading and unloading equipment even easier. Turning a dump trailer into an equipment hauler also helps landscapers who want to stay away from obtaining a CDL license. Dump trailers hauling most compact equipment can still be pulled by regular pickup trucks.
Nicole Schumacher, marketing manager for Haulmark Industries, says covered trailers are great for impromptu headquarters. With optional inside lights, covered trailers provide nice shelter or break areas when bad weather strikes or temperatures rise.
Trailers with added storage or side doors work well for transporting all needed items in fewer vehicles. Haulmark makes a specialty landscape trailer with a rear flatbed section and an enclosed storage area that locks. The company also manufactures fully enclosed landscape trailers with a side door for easy access to small equipment.
Mandes says using tilt trailers for mini excavators can provide landscapers extra billable hours each day. The design of the tilt trailer makes loading and unloading mini excavators fast, and Mandes says landscapers often find they can add one more stop to their day, equaling extra profit.
A final way to make your trailer work smarter is finding one with an adjustable dovetail.
“A guy can turn something that hauls equipment into something that hauls hay,” Mandes says.
The adjustable dovetail provides the necessary slope for loading and unloading, but when flipped up, it gives added length for transporting more material.
Options abound to make the landscaping profession more efficient – trailers are just one more place to maximize investments, and the efficiency gained in the process can often lead to more profit.
