advice needed on trailer for hauling small square bales

[Robert_in_NY]

I am considering buying a new/lightly used trailer to haul hay. Currently I have a 16' equipment trailer that I can stack 150 bales on. I have a friend in North Carolina who needs hay and can sell hay for me as well since I have more hay then I have customers locally here. So now I am trying to decide if I should just run the current trailer or buy something newer.

I have a 2006 F-250 diesel to pull with and have been thinking either a 24' bumper pull enclosed trailer (the widest available) or possibly a longer equipment trailer but the enclosed trailer would be better suited as the hay would be protected from the elements and also I wouldn't have to worry about the stack shifting in transit. The enclosed trailer would also be useful for my father on some of his jobsites which is why I am keeping it at 24' since anything longer would be almost impossible to bring onto the sites (24' is going to be tough for some). I really don't use the equipment trailer much at all so I don't see much use in buying a longer one but the option is there.

So my questions for you guys are which route would you go and what options would you suggest I consider. I have very little experience with enclosed trailers but I do like the rear ramp door but don't know how well they hold up. So thanks in advance and feel free to share your experiences (good and bad) and thoughts.

 

[Carykong]

Hay grown in NY and sold in NC. Just wondering if the business model would be supported over the longterm. Makin hay and selling local is a distinct model. Hauling hay from NY to NC is a transportation model that deserves a real close look before investing in gear,renting gear,or just hiring a hauler. I think the real test for this venture is to ask yourself this question. Would I still make a profit if I just contracted a hauler to move the hay for me? If the answer is yes, how much margin is there if I just hauled the hay myself?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Hay grown in NY and sold in NC. Just wondering if the business model would be supported over the longterm. Makin hay and selling local is a distinct model. Hauling hay from NY to NC is a transportation model that deserves a real close look before investing in gear,renting gear,or just hiring a hauler. I think the real test for this venture is to ask yourself this question. Would I still make a profit if I just contracted a hauler to move the hay for me? If the answer is yes, how much margin is there if I just hauled the hay myself?

From what I have been figuring the numbers are there for me to make a profit. I plan to go down with the current equipment trailer first as it will be like a mini vacation and I will go with my daughter and stay with our friends there a day or two and come back. That is the only reason I am considering it. The trial run will either show me I was right and that I can make a profit or that I am an idiot and should have known better :-D

I plan to look into what it would cost to have a larger truck haul for me as well as renting a truck. The idea with the enclosed trailer is that it has been an item we have been discussing for a few years now that would make things easier on my father for his jobsites to have a trailer to be able to store tools, supplies and what ever else he thinks he would need on the job without having to load up multiple trucks or make multiple trips. But thanks for the comment.

 

[schmism]

you may find a livestock trailer to be better suited for the bales. plus you could haul livestock in it.

i suppose trailer type depends on second use need..... you got a race car/4wheelers or something you like to haul (reg enclosed) or do you have livestock to haul? or do you have equipment that is best suited for a deckover flatbed GN trailer?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

you may find a livestock trailer to be better suited for the bales. plus you could haul livestock in it.

i suppose trailer type depends on second use need..... you got a race car/4wheelers or something you like to haul (reg enclosed) or do you have livestock to haul? or do you have equipment that is best suited for a deckover flatbed GN trailer?

No livestock or race cars. My dad owns a construction company and it would be used for that.

 

[tlbuser]

Hay grown in NY and sold in NC. Just wondering if the business model would be supported over the longterm. Makin hay and selling local is a distinct model. Hauling hay from NY to NC is a transportation model that deserves a real close look before investing in gear,renting gear,or just hiring a hauler. I think the real test for this venture is to ask yourself this question. Would I still make a profit if I just contracted a hauler to move the hay for me? If the answer is yes, how much margin is there if I just hauled the hay myself?

I don't know the growing numbers, but am familiar with the buying side Fall through to first cut, it's not uncommon to see tractor trailer loads of hay from Pa. and NY at the local auction house. Therefore, I'm thinking either a) you can make money on it or b) it's a good tax deduction

 

[tlbuser]

make things easier on my father for his jobsites to have a trailer to be able to store tools, supplies and what ever else he thinks he would need on the job without having to load up multiple trucks or make multiple trips. But thanks for the comment.

Only problem with dual use stuff is sometimes it's a pain to make the swap. My experience is with dragsters and enclosed trailers. You don't want your tools and gear bouncing off your car during transit so everything gets bolted down and "prettied up". It would take a day to strip and another day to reconfigure.
Once put together and organized, they are wonderful mobile facilities. Drop down ramp doors are IMO, the better way to go. Wheeling things in and out is tons easier than manhandling it. Barn doors can be a pain in tighter areas and when people aren't paying attention they can be difficult to repair.

 

[Ken45101]

I don't know but I wonder about the regulations. It sounds commercial interstate commerce to me, which might mean inspections, weigh stations, CDL, etc.

Consider that you can load higher on an open bed than an enclosed one. You also have more flexibility with an open trailer, you don't end up with space that you can't quite fit a bale into (it always goes over the side a little bit). I see a lot of open trucks and trailers here hauling hay from Ohio to Kentucky. They just cover with a tarp if they are concerned about rain.

Ken

 

[WM75Guy]

Loading and unloading an enclosed trailer is going to involve lots of manual labor. I haul 120 bales on my 20' GN Big Tex pipe top. It's stacked 4 bales high. My hay dealer loads it in 15 minutes, 10 bales at a time with an accumulator. It takes me 2 hours to unload it at home and stack it inthe barn. But I am old and slow and need to walk the next day.

 

[radioman]

Wouldnt a gooseneck be more suitable for dual purpose like this? have you considered hiring companies like ABF to make the trip?

 

[dodge man]

I can't imgine hauling hay in a enclosed trailer. Are the sides strong enough for a shifting load?

 

[Duffster]

I can't imgine hauling hay in a enclosed trailer. Are the sides strong enough for a shifting load?

The load really won't shift as much as it just need to be contained. So yes the trailer side would be plenty strong.

Rob, IMO an enclosed trailer would be the best way to go. Especially if you are selling high end hay to discerning buyers. Nothing will tick off your buyer faster then showing up with a load of soggy hay.

I think I would skip the ramp door.

 

[DanD78]

What about a U-Haul or Rider van truck and tow a small car behind it. Rent the van truck one way and drive the car back home.
Hauling small square bales in an enclosed trailer is the only way to go. No tie down just more time to load and unload. I can get 84 bales in my stock trailer and not have the stress of worrying about the load falling off and tie down time. But I can also get 225 bales on my flat bed goose neck and have had good luck hauling localy. I would want to add more straps and ropes if I were to go as far as you are talking.

Dan

 

[Diamondpilot]

Hauling that distance and over state lines is getting in CDL territory and away from the Farm Exemptions.

I think you are going to lose money fast on this one.

Chris

 

[Duffster]

Hauling that distance and over state lines is getting in CDL territory

Not if he sticks to a standard 2 axle trailer or under ~16k GVWR.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Not if he sticks to a standard 2 axle trailer or under ~16k GVWR.

True, but for hire its going to take a lot of hay to make each run make money. I would think the only way you could do it would be a very large trailer or hire a semi to haul it to make the money.

Around here for example we do hay. Don't own a single piece of equipment but I have a local farmer that will cut, rake, bale, and drop it off for $.75 per bale. (Last seasons price). I was selling it for $2.50 to $3.00 per bale delivered, still plenty of profit to be made and I do not have to own a single piece of equipment, maintain it, or do the actual work.

Work smarter, not harder is what a guy told me a long time ago and it seems to work good for me.

Chris

 

[zzvyb6]

An enclosed trailer would keep your load safe from inclimate environmental issues, but is a royal pain to load. My personal favorite is an 8' x 16' 4 place snowmobile trailer with "E" rated tires. I can put 150 on it and 200 once. However, max delivery distance is just 40 miles, not the distance you are talking. What about the return trip? Anything worth bringing home on the way back (furniture, whiskey, cigarettes, illegal immigrants, bee hives, ...) ?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

An enclosed trailer would keep your load safe from inclimate environmental issues, but is a royal pain to load. My personal favorite is an 8' x 16' 4 place snowmobile trailer with "E" rated tires. I can put 150 on it and 200 once. However, max delivery distance is just 40 miles, not the distance you are talking. What about the return trip? Anything worth bringing home on the way back (furniture, whiskey, cigarettes, illegal immigrants, bee hives, ...) ?

I think the return trip will be like an episode of American Pickers where I just wander around and see if there is anything worth buying and go from there.

I plan to stay with my friend for a couple days and hopefully while visiting the local area I will see something worth buying. I am always looking for running gears (cheap), metal kicker wagons, gravity wagons, and other farm equipment. Of course if I see an old Ford :laughing:mustang I just might have to drop the ramps

 

[Robert_in_NY]

True, but for hire its going to take a lot of hay to make each run make money. I would think the only way you could do it would be a very large trailer or hire a semi to haul it to make the money.

Around here for example we do hay. Don't own a single piece of equipment but I have a local farmer that will cut, rake, bale, and drop it off for $.75 per bale. (Last seasons price). I was selling it for $2.50 to $3.00 per bale delivered, still plenty of profit to be made and I do not have to own a single piece of equipment, maintain it, or do the actual work.

Work smarter, not harder is what a guy told me a long time ago and it seems to work good for me.

Chris

I am hoping to take 200-250 bales per trip. Fuel should cost me around $400 round trip. The reason I am even considering this is because my friend asked me and told me what she has been paying down there. Here in NY I am selling hay for $2.35 off the wagon. Down where my friend lives (in Virginia, I had a brain cramp when I wrote North Carolina) the current rate is over $7 a bale. I am selling it to my friend for the actual cost of transporting and once I know my costs exactly she can line up buyers if it actually will work out to where I can make my money still.

I am not doing this to get rich and make lots of money, I am looking at it as a good excuse to take a mini vacation and the hay will just help pay for the trip. If I can make a trip every other weekend I will be fine with it and I will get to explore the areas between and around my destination. If I find out on the initial trip that I am going to lose money or not cover expenses then it will end after the initial trip. My friends husband just had back surgery so he is not able to work and help out the farms he normally does and their hurting a little and I am hopefully going to be able to help them.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

What about a U-Haul or Rider van truck and tow a small car behind it. Rent the van truck one way and drive the car back home.
Hauling small square bales in an enclosed trailer is the only way to go. No tie down just more time to load and unload. I can get 84 bales in my stock trailer and not have the stress of worrying about the load falling off and tie down time. But I can also get 225 bales on my flat bed goose neck and have had good luck hauling localy. I would want to add more straps and ropes if I were to go as far as you are talking.

Dan

I can rent a Penske box truck but I don't own a small car. Only a 4wd F-250 diesel and I don't feel like towing that behind the box truck. I will look into the cost of renting the truck and go from there in making my decision but for the initial run I am thinking of just trying it with my utility trailer and go on a good weekend with no rain but with tarps just in case.