How is something like this is possible?

Stuff like paper rolls concentrates all the weight in one spot and the trailer isn't made for it.
I've hauled metals in a dry van that probably should have went curtain side as flatbeds tend to be made better for that sort of load. Metals like copper wire and lead blocks.

 

Maybe telephone pole fell on it?

 

Also on all
Modern vans, the sides carry a lot of the weight , if you hit a tree or utility pole and dent the side while carrying a heavy load, it will collapse .

thw biggest question about the trailer in the link is how does it still have a clear title?

mid an insurance company paid off on it , then it should have a salvage title or a no. Repairable parts only title .

 

Looks like large amount of weight concentrated in like a 4 foot section of the deck. The Alcoa wheels on the trailer make me think it was used to haul something weight sensitive.

 

I saw this one time when someone called needing a cross dock. He basically had a load on and forgot he was pulling a trailer. He cut too sharp and ran up against some sort of very sturdy pole. Whats nuts is he drove it like 15 mins to my yard and it was so F'd that the landing gears being all the way up, were still dragging the ground.

I very carefully pulled the last 4 skids off and then the rest had to use a grabber thing that you put on the middle of the skid and as you pull back it grabs onto the skid harder and harder. I pulled the rest off like that using some really long straps. As it got to the middle of the trailer it started to rise back up. Crazy stuff!

After getting empty he drove it to a local shop I know and they ended up buying it for scrap!

 

Too much weight. I’ve seen that twice, years ago, with new Wabash Trailers. Beer Loads out of Milwaukee loaded too heavy in the center. Sitting on the shoulder on 41s in Illinois. So many Shippers like to do that. Dry Vans are basically frameless. Great Danes have weaker side rails than Wabash, Stoughton, Trailmobile. I won’t own another. I currently have an old Trailmobile. It’s holding up better.

 

That Trailer can be repaired. They sell full side rails, even sections, they butt weld the side rails and put a 1’ piece behind it welded. Same would need to be done on top rails. The rest would just be replacing as many panels needed. Probably a good section of flooring, and a few crossmembers. I watched a video once on Utube. 2 Guys that knew what they were doing. The rails weren’t bent, but otherwise Totaled. The price for parts is bad enough. Price for Labor, makes it too expensive. There’s a company that specializes in repaired late model Trailers. I almost bought one from them. Why not? It’s just all parts put together.

 

Might be cheaper to do that now vs trying to buy a 45,000 $ used trailer.