A trailer is an unpowered vehicle towed by a powered vehicle, most often used for the transport of goods and materials. Historically, the term has also been applied to various varieties of manufactured housing designed for human habitation, such as travel trailers or mobile homes.
A wide variety of trailers exist, each designed to carry specific types and quantities of cargo. Some trailers are open-topped and can be tipped back to dump their contents, while others are fully enclosed by walls and roof. Some of the most common trailers include the flatbed, dump, and grain trailer.
Commercial freight trailers are generally built to length and width specifications by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). They are then assembled and delivered to shippers ready for use. Cargo is loaded into the trailer from the front, sides and rear and then secured using cargo straps or chains and binders. Some trailers have a tarp to protect the load from weather or road debris.
Trailers are very important to the transportation industry, as they are used to haul a variety of loads. They are used for delivering products to retail stores, for hauling lumber and other construction material, towing boats or campers, and many more applications. Trailers are available in a range of sizes and styles, from simple utility trailers to massive tractor-trailers.
Some of the most popular trailers in North America include the dump, grain and flatbed models. Dump trailers are open-topped and can be tilted back to dump their contents. They are usually used to haul construction or landscaping material, but can be rented for general cargo. Grain trailers are similar to dump trailers, but they are typically larger and used for storing agricultural products such as grains or corn. Flatbed trailers are used for general cargo and are built with either an open or closed body. The closed body prevents robbery and weather-related damage to the cargo.
Trailers can be found just about anywhere, from roads to parking lots and campsites to boat docks and backyards. They can be made from wood, steel or aluminum and come in a wide range of designs and colors. Most of them are designed to be towed behind a power vehicle, such as a car or truck, but some are built to be towed by horse or donkey.
A trailer can have a single or multiple axles, and is usually equipped with a light system to indicate its status and position on the roadway. A trailer may also have an electronic logging device to track its location and mileage during the trip.
Trailers are a great way to advertise entertainment, and they can be quite entertaining in their own right. Most theatrical trailers run between :90 and :2 and a half minutes and are packed with information and visuals. TV spot trailers are even shorter but are still tightly packed with information. The bloopers and outtakes that are edited into featurettes or filmic “making-of” trailers provide an additional level of entertainment.