A forklift trailer is a strong device made of steel to transport a forklift. It requires a suspension system, a tilting bed, and strong anchor points. The trailer must have multiple ply tires, brakes, and heavy-duty springs. A winch is added for disabled forklifts, but loading from a raised dock requires warehouse floor access or an access ramp.
A forklift trailer is a heavy-duty device used to transport a forklift. Typically made with a low, tilting bed to make loading and unloading a forklift easier, a forklift trailer is manufactured using steel and very strong components to withstand the extreme weight of a forklift. Since a forklift is a machine with no suspension and typically comes with solid rubber tires, the forklift trailer must have a suspension system designed to support the heavy load and absorb the impact and bounce experienced when encountering a road bumpy. The trailer’s tilt bed is also intended to act as a loading ramp for a machine commonly equipped with slick tires and very low ground clearance.
One of the difficulties in transporting a forklift is the elevator’s inability to negotiate steep inclines. This requires a forklift to be very low to the ground. The extremely low ground clearance requires a tilting bed so that ramps are not needed to load the forklift onto the trailer. Slick tires on the forklift require adding tread to the trailer bed to aid traction as the lift is driven onto the trailer. Extremely strong anchor points are required to withstand the potential of a loose lift pulling against the anchors.
Forklifts are very heavy, so the tires on the forklift trailer must be built with multiple plies to bear the load without sagging and pinching. Trailer brakes are needed on a forklift trailer to help slow and stop the trailer when loaded. Without the trailer braking system, a sudden stop could easily turn into a switchblade situation as the heavy load could try to push the tow vehicle over. Heavy duty springs are also a must on the forklift trailer due to the extreme weights of the expected load.
The typical forklift is designed and built with a steel floor. Hardwood floors are prone to failure; as the wood ages, the weight of the forklift can cause it to break through the hardwood floor and damage both the trailer and the forklift. Many forklift trailer designs include the addition of a heavy duty winch at the front of the trailer. This allows a disabled forklift to be hitched to the trailer when service and repairs are required. The main problem with a trailer is the inability to load the forklift directly from a raised dock. Warehouse floor access is required to load the forklift unless an access ramp is not available to take the forklift from the dock to street level.
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