- Track your orders
- Save your details for express checkout
Blog - Trailer World
How to Load a Trailer Safely
We’ve put together a guide to safely loading the trailer and checks you can do that can help protect you, your goods as well as others on the road.
Check towing and vehicle capacity
Before you begin loading the trailer, you need to check the trailer’s capacity along with your vehicle’s towing capacity. If your vehicle is going to tow a trailer that exceeds its capacity, it can cause serious damage to your vehicle and can cause hazards when driving on the road. Check that your trailer coupling and chains match the vehicle and trailer, and ensure these are securely fastened before you get started.Secure on a flat surface
Park your trailer as close to the area where you’re loading and ensure the vehicle is on firm, flat, level ground. Make sure your trailer is hooked to your vehicle firmly and your vehicle is in park as well as having the emergency brakes applied. Chocking the tyres can add extra reassurance that your trailer stays in place while loading your goods.If you’re parked on the side of the road, make sure you are out of the way of traffic and if you have a cone, put it behind the car and trailer with room for loading, to mark it from oncoming traffic. Some heavy duty trailers might come with tie-downs or D-rings. Make sure to inspect them for any wear and tear, and then prepare and inspect the straps or chains if you are using them to secure the goods once it's all loaded in the trailer. If you need to use a ramp to help bring the load on the trailer, make sure they are stable and positioned at a steady incline from the flat surface.
Different loads should be transported differently. If you have smaller items or similar items, it's best to bundle them together as a more single, stable unit. Be prepared to use anti-slip matting for longer loads to prevent items from sliding, especially long materials. Make sure heavy items are not loaded on top of lighter items, fill any gaps between piles with other items and restrain all these well.
Secure your load
Time to put restraints on your goods and secure them for the road. Most people use a combination of tarps, tie-down ratchets, ropes, and chains. Whichever method you want to use to restrain the load it’s important you secure it carefully – you don’t want to lose anything along the way. Ensure the restraints have a significant amount of tension on them but not too tight that it could cause damage when it's on the road.Lastly, if there are any excess straps, make sure they are tied up and out of the way so they don’t flap around or get caught in the wheels.
Keep load within the trailer
One of the biggest hazards that drivers towing a trailer pose to other road users is a load that sticks out from the trailer at either the back or the sides. A load cannot project more than 1.2 metres beyond the rear of a trailer. If you find that your goods or materials are exceeding at the rear, then it needs to have either a brightly coloured flag or warning signals that can be seen for at least 200 metres when driving at night.Pre-trip checklist
Before hitting the road with your precious load safely strapped down, there are a few pre-trip trailer checks you can do to make sure everything is safe and ready to go.Trailer checklist pre-trip:
● Check brakes and brake connections
● Check parking brake
● Check all lights and reflectors
● Check tyre pressure
● Check coupling
● Check the spare wheel is attached to the trailer tightly
● Check all wheel nuts are tight
● Check parking brake
● Check all lights and reflectors
● Check tyre pressure
● Check coupling
● Check the spare wheel is attached to the trailer tightly
● Check all wheel nuts are tight
Once the goods are loaded, do a walk-around to check you’ve secured the ramps and attached your safety chains, Ensure that the trailer chains and electrical connections are hooked to your towing vehicle and all straps are tight before setting off.
You are now ready to hit the road! While driving with the trailer, handling can be a bit difficult with trailers more prone to moving side to side, so it's important to take corners and roundabouts carefully. It is worth pulling over and checking the trailer every so often to ensure the straps are correct and the load is secure.
For all your trailer and trailer accessories, Trailer World has you covered. At Trailer World, we believe in safety and quality, which is why our products are not only manufactured for New Zealand conditions, but they also meet industry safety standards. We only have the best trailers and trailer components for smooth and safe transport. Talk to us today about how we can help you with your trailer needs.