New vs old 53ft dry van trailer

Well, I've been out of the loop for quite a spell, but common sense in these here unpredictable times, tells me to buy the used one. Vans aren't like old reefers, if the floor and top are good, load the wagon already!! I bet there's older vans than that being loaded.

 

Paper roll stock is the only product that I've run into that may require a trailer 10 years old or less.

 

Since Covid nobody seems to be checking trailer manufacturing dates. My buddy bought a well used 2008 and as long as the floor doesn’t show any daylight coming through he always gets loaded.

 

GM and their parts suppliers also require that

 

Only have done 1 load for GM ... they didn't check. And to be honest not all paper producers check either. They're only one in 13 years that have though.

 

Really I would finance a newer trailer. My first trailer was a 99 and I put over 15k into it in repairs in the 1.5 I had it. I financed a 2018 last November and never looked back. I also haven't had to do any repairs to it. You will have to get a newer trailer anyway eventually for the reason you are worried about so don't waste the money if you can get one financed.

 

Just out of curiosity how do they check the year? Never ran into it, but here in the midwest the older trailers seem to have the vin plates badly corroded or missing. What stops someone from just photo shopping the registration and custom engraving a vin tag? Do shippers run the plates through the local police department?

 

Basically just honor system.

 

You could always get a dirt cheap trailer to use for a year while saving more money to buy a better trailer.

When I first started in 2020 I bought a cheap 2001 Great Dane trailer for around $2000, not food grade, fiberglass roof, roll up door. It barely passed inspection but worked well for my first year. Honestly wasn't hard finding loads.

Couldn't do food loads due to not being food grade.
Some shippers didn't want a fiberglass roof.
Some didn't want roll up doors.
But there where plenty of other shippers that where fine with it.

Then in Feb of 2021 I replaced it with a 2018 Wabash for $28k, former Werner trailer that (I'm guessing) had been rearended by another semi. Had to call 10 different places to find it and drove 600 miles to get it outside Cincinnati. It was just a matter of luck, the place was done fully repairing it in their shop (new doors, dot bar, 8ft of flooring/roof/drivers side wall) and was going to put it for sale that day.