Is a 45' by 96" flat in demand?
 

The deal on the Ravens 48' by 102" fell through :sad: , and I may have to get a 45' by 96" Benson :? . Both are all aluminum and under 9,000lbs.
Is there any major issues that you could see. Do you guys with 48's always fill up the full lenth?

I have a 53 and I use the whole thing and then some. I find that extra few feet is often where the money is made because those trailers are gard to find. Here are two examples from last week.

1. steel beams, 58'-9" long, from NY to ON. We hung it over 1.75' on the front and the 4' on the rear. No permit required. Paid $1,000 on 231 miles.

2. A load of tanks from NY to ON that required 43' on the bottom of a step deck. Paid $1122 on 215 miles.

Thats whatI'm trying to figure out,...I know I don't want a 53', but I heard that a 48' is average. Now a 45',....lots of new ones for sale, they seem to be a populr size, but wanted to hear from you flatbedders, to see if you think that the size will matter. The price is right.
1994 Benson all aluminum
closed sliding tandem
bulkhead
20,000lb axel's
8,800lbs
$7,500
There are a couple of others on the lot I'll look at on Friday, but I've got my eye on this one. I like the closed tandem, better than the spread. Seems to be more tire friendly.

Some steel haulers still like 45 by 96 because they save some weight on the trailer itself. If you now what your going to be hauling all the time than get a 45/96 if not you're better off with a 48/102. Some states still have limitations on 102 trailers but IMO thats not a good enough reason to buy a 96. If you're worried about tire wear get a trailer with a sliding axle so if you have a light load you can run it as a tandem. Spreads are generally easier to load with less chance of an overweight ticket.

There's a nice chapparal 48'/96" also, it got a fixed spread, all aluminum,and in the same price range. Thanks for the info.

a spread is harder on tires, but, your allowed 40,000 on the rears where as on a tandem your only allowed 34,000. a 48 by 96 will work with most all applications. I have called 20 state dot's & all have no restrictions on the 102 wide on the major road or even the 2 ln backroad as long as it's not over the gross weight of the road limit. thats the south & midwest area. good luck..we'll all be wishing you well.. :)

If you end up with a spread axle, get a dump valve plumbed in if you have air ride. It'll be much easier on tires. If you can, get a dump valve on both axles, with their own switches of course. Being able to dump the rear axle can really help if you have a tight turn to navigate.

Dan

I've only filled my 48' trailer up maybe 2 times. The rest of the time I have many feet left and a 45 would do just fine. I've filled up the 102" many many times so I'm not sure a 96 would do.

I rarely filled up 48' on my flat bed. It is a 48'x96". It is a side kit and except on a few rare occasions, the 96" wasn't an issue. Having the 102" width can come in handy on occasion for walking around the deck, but isn't usually necessary. A friend of mine had a 45'x96" and hauled steel in PA, NY, NJ and MD. He did just fine with it, but all he hauled was steel. He had an all aluminum East. The 96" could help you on occasion if you run the NE or New England and have to get on some of the side roads. NJ was really strict on the width at one time. It really depends on where you want to run and what you wish to haul. If you plan on hauling a lot of long I-beams, then the longer length could help you. If you primarily plan on hauling sheet steel and coils, then the 45' will probably do all right for you. I prefer a 48' x 102", but that is more of a preference than a need. My step deck is 53' and I have occasion to use most of the deck, but it is a different type of freight.

Thanks everyone,
I will be flying up to Chicago and renting a car to go look at this trailer, you've all given me more to think about on the way.
This is the last part of this project, I hope!!