Lowboy/RGN

Lowboy Trailers

Lowboy trailers are unpowered trailers commonly used to haul tall cargo. Invented in the 1920s, these trailers usually haul items that are taller than the legal height of items that can be carried by flatbeds. This usually means they haul industrial equipment like bulldozers.

Lowboys (also called low-loaders in British English, low-beds in western Canada and South Africa, and floats in Australia) are semi-trailers with two drops in deck height: one in front and one right before the wheels. This design gives lowboys greater clearance for tall freight. No other trailer can carry loads up to 12 ft. tall. For heavy equipment such as industrial equipment, bulldozers, and cranes, lowboys are the perfect trailer.

Maximum Dimensions of a Lowboy Trailer:

Maximum freight weight 40,000 pounds with two axles and up to 80,000 pounds with additional axles
Maximum well length 24 ft. to 29 ft.
Maximum well height 18 in. to 24 in.
Maximum legal width 8 ft. 6 in.
Maximum legal freight height 11 ft. 6 in. to 12 ft.
Maximum legal overall load height 14 ft.

RGN Trailers

Removable gooseneck trailers are a common type of trailer used for anything from medium-to heavy-duty loads. Their signature feature is the removable neck, which allows for powered freight to drive onto the trailer. Basically, the front end of the trailer can fold down into a ramp that allows vehicles to drive onto the trailer. The front end can then be reattached, making loading and unloading of even the heaviest of vehicles quick and easy.

RGNs have other features, too. Many RGNs come equipped with dollies, which are extra axles that can be added to a trailer to increase its carrying capacity. Some have flip axles, which are extra axles that fold up onto the trailer itself, making their use as easy and convenient as simply flipping the axle down onto the road.

There are two types of detachable goosenecks: mechanical RGNs, or MRGNs, and hydraulic RGNs, or HRGNs. MRGNs are ideal for heavy hauls since they weigh less than hydraulic trailers. This reduces the stress on the trailer’s tires and the tractor’s engine, reducing overall fuel costs. HRGNs, on the other hand, work very well for lighter loads because of their greater ease of loading and unloading. They are the perfect choice for speeding up the transport process.

Most standard RGN trailers will range from 48’ to 53’ in length, though they can be extended with the use of a flip axle or dolly.

Below are the specifications and legal limits for RGNs:

Maximum RGN Hauling Capacity: 150,000 lbs.

Maximum Legal Freight Dimensions:

Front Deck 10’ 7” Long x 8’ 5” Wide (102”) x High 8’ 5” (102”)
Main Deck 30’ Long x 8’5” Wide x 11’8” (102”) High (142”) with a Main Deck ground clearance of 15” to 24”
Rear Deck 9’ Long x 8’ 5” Wide (102”) x 10’ High (120”) and can expand to a length of 13’6”
Description 2 axles, 3 axles, 4 axles and trunnion axle with booster
Size 26’, 28’ and 30’ well; 102” and 10’ wide; deck inserts up to 42’ total flat deck
Configurations 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9 axles
Models 35,40,45,50,55,70, and 85 ton
Setups 8’6” wide and 10’ wide with 8tire and 16tire
Deck heights 20” – 26”
Deck lengths 26’, 27’, 28’, 29’, 30’ (40’ and 42’ includes 10’ and 15’ deck insert)

Potential Capabilities

Lowboys and RGNs work well for a variety of applications. Some loads require these trailers, as they will not fit on others without needing special permits. For other loads, they make things easier thanks to their low clearance. For example, they make shipping loads like heavy oilfield equipment and crates much less complicated. The removable neck of the RGN makes it easy to load things like drive-on loads, reels, and overdimensional commercial machinery.