Working Ranch Magazine Summer 2025

larger beam for triple axle instal lation? Ask your dealer about Dexter T axles or equivalent. 6. Will the trailer flex enough for the rough roads you will be using or is it built for highway only? 7. If you select a 6’8” axle spacing for your new trailer, will that work on your two-track ranch roads that are deeply rutted? 8. Do you have to negotiate a lot of switchbacks that will limit the length of the trailer you can use? 9. What is the maximum length trailer offered by your preferred guards? How many were built for a Model T pickup and won’t accommodate a wide trailer? 11. Are there trees on either side of a cattle guard that will keep you from turning a longer trailer on that two-track road? 12. Do you live in a part of the country with a lot of moisture and humidity (like Louisiana or Hawaii)? Check with your manufacturer about square tube trailer framing vs pipe framing to keep moisture from rusting the trailer frame from the inside. 13. If using torsion axles, do you have humps you cross regularly (RIGHT) EDITOR: We wanted to provide the latest update on the MAP-21 initiative dating back over ten years ago, so here’s what we found... thanks Virginia Farm Bureau Feder ation for posting this great checklist. ranch wheels manufacturer? Why do they offer that maximum length? 10. How wide are your cattle

it diesel or gasoline? How much torque do you have for getting a fully loaded oversized trailer up a hill or long grade? 15. For those bigger-than-usual trailers check out: Big Bend Trailers https://bigbendtrailers.com/ SwiftBuilt Trailers https://swiftbuilttrailers.com/ Gooseneck Trailers https://www.gooseneck.net/ Wilson Trailers https://www.wilsontrailer.com/ trailers/foreman/?trailer=1 I know you have your heart set on that “oh-my-gosh-would-you-look at-the-size-of-that-thang!” trailer. But go through our list of consider ations before you order that big trailer so to avoid a wreck the first time you try to back up to the pens with half the county watching.

(like a contour grade in a field)? Humps can cause all the weight of the trailer and load to transfer to a single axle for a few seconds and really damage torsion axles. 14. What is the towing capacity of your pickup or 1-ton truck? Is

BIG BEND TRAILERS

Big Bend Trailer

46 I SUMMER 2025 WORKING RANCH audited readers run 21 million head of beef cattle.