When you’re loading a trailer, ensuring safety should be your top priority. Proper loading techniques not only protect you, your trailer and load, but other road users too. Here’s a checklist to keep in mind when loading a trailer.
Drawbar Weight:
This is the downward force exerted on the vehicle’s towball by the loaded trailer. It is crucial to distribute some weight onto the drawbar to ensure stability while towing. The drawbar weight should be around 10% of the trailer's total weight. You can adjust the drawbar weight by redistributing the cargo or repositioning it within the trailer.
Load Over the Trailer Wheels:
Keep heavy items low and centred around the axle area, balancing the load side to side, while maintaining the appropriate downward weight on the coupling to help maintain balance and stability. Placing heavier items directly over the trailer's axle(s) helps avoid sway and ensures better control at highway speeds. It is crucial that loads behind the axles are carefully considered, and do not have the effect of taking the weight off the drawbar. This can cause instability and greatly increases the risk of jack-knifing.
Trailer and load dimensions:
The maximum width including tie-downs for a light trailer is 2.55m. Maximum length, including drawbar and load is 12.5m. Maximum height is 4.3m. Some special requirements are in place for these dimensions, including the fitting of marker lamps.
Protruding loads:
The maximum a load can extend behind the rear axis is 4m.
During daytime, any load which overhangs more than 1m beyond the front or rear of the body/deck, or 200mm beyond either side, must display a clean white, or fluorescent red, orange or yellow flag, or appropriate hazard warning panel.
During hours of darkness, red, amber or white marker lights must be attached to the load.
For specific legal requirements, please refer to NZTA
Tying Loads Down:
Secure your load with appropriately rated tie-down straps (Such as our TW1K 340kg tie-down) attached to suitable anchor points. Check straps for cuts, fraying or damaged fittings before use, and position them to prevent the load moving forwards, backwards or sideways. Protect straps from sharp edges and check each one for correct tension before setting off. Stop somewhere safe shortly into your journey to check the load and retighten straps if needed. Repeat these checks periodically, especially with loads that can settle or compress during transport.
Check Your Weight Limits
Before loading, check your trailer’s load capacity, your vehicle’s towing capacity and the ratings of your towbar and coupling. Remember that the total weight being towed includes both the trailer and its load. Follow the manufacturer’s guidance, including any separate limits for braked and unbraked trailers, and stay within the lowest applicable rating. If you’re unsure how much your loaded trailer weighs, use a weighbridge before heading out.