Whether you’re moving house, renovating, transporting equipment or heading off on a camping trip, hiring a trailer is a practical and affordable solution. However, using a trailer safely is essential to protect yourself, the load you’re carrying and other road users.

Before heading off, it's important to ensure you choose the right trailer for the job, load it correctly and carry out a few simple safety checks. Taking a few extra minutes before you leave can make all the difference and help ensure a safe and stress-free journey.

Choosing The Right Trailer

Using the right trailer specifically designed for your needs will also provide additional on-road safety. Trailers that are too small can lead to overloading, while choosing a larger trailer can make towing lighter loads trickier than necessary, also increasing the risk of damage to your belongings. Before you rent your trailer, consider the size and weight of the load you will be carrying as well as the type of items you’ll be moving, and the distance you will be driving. If you are unsure of the best trailer to choose, it is a good idea to speak with your trailer hire provider who can offer you the right advice.

Different trailers are designed for different purposes:

• Single-Axle Cage Trailers are ideal for smaller household jobs, furniture collection, garden waste, camping gear and general DIY projects.

• Tandem Cage Trailers provide greater stability and are much more suited to carrying heavier loads such as building materials, landscaping supplies, commercial equipment and larger house moves.

• Enclosed Trailers offer added protection from the weather and increased security, making them ideal for transporting furniture, tools, business equipment and valuable items.

• Luggage Trailers are perfect for family holidays, camping trips and transporting sporting equipment when you simply need extra storage space.

Know Your Vehicle’s Towing Capacity

Whether you’re moving furniture, whitegoods, commercial equipment, camping gear, rubbish or any other item, it’s important to check the maximum load capacity for your specific goods, to ensure you don’t exceed these limits, allowing for safer travel. Every vehicle and trailer has a maximum load rating and should always be adhered to, to avoid overloading. Overloading your trailer can lead to poor brake performance, affect steering and place unnecessary stress on your vehicle, increasing the risk of trailer sway. If you cannot locate the load capacity for your vehicle or trailer, your rental service will be able to provide you with the correct information or give you the best advice.

Loading Your Trailer Correctly

When you are loading your items onto the trailer it’s important to take the time to do it properly, so that weight is distributed evenly and all items are secure. Some key tips to remember when loading will make the process, and your towing experience much simpler and a lot safer. Place heavier items directly over or slightly in front of the axle of the trailer to improve stability, reduce trailer sway, maintain balance and ensure better steering and braking while driving. Keeping the weight evenly distributed from side to side will also assist with stability and your ability to control the trailer and your vehicle safely.

Be careful not to place items too far back, dragging the back of the trailer down, or too far forward putting pressure on the tow ball. It is also vital to ensure that every item is secure before you head off. Loose items should be covered with a tarp or net that has been secured with quality straps or ropes. This will reduce the risk of items coming loose and flying off the trailer, risking other road users or damaging your items.

Check Everything Before You Leave

Before you take off on your journey, it’s a good idea to go through a checklist to make sure that you have covered everything safely and all items are stored and secured correctly. It may add a few extra minutes to your trip, but could make all the difference.

A few key points to remember:

• Ensure that your tow coupling Is securely locked in place

• Safety chains are attached correctly

• The trailer plug is connected

• The brake lights, tail lights and indicators are working

• All tyres are inflated to the correct PSI

• All wheel nuts are tight and secure

• The jockey wheel is fully raised

• Your load is distributed correctly and all items are secure.

These simple checklist items are quick and easy to run through and will dramatically reduce any potential risks or hazards while you’re on the move.

Driving To The Conditions

As simple as it may seem, it is an important point that must be highlighted. All driving conditions need to be factored in when you are towing your trailer, and failing to do this correctly can lead to an accident, or damage to your vehicle, the trailer or your belongings.

No matter the conditions, it is vital that you maintain smooth acceleration, allow plenty of braking distance, take corners wider than normal, reduce speeds on rough or extra busy roads, avoid sudden or jarred steering and be aware of crosswinds.

We will cover safe towing techniques in more detail in our next blog; Safe Trailer Towing Tips: How To Tow a Trailer With Confidence.

Before Returning Your Trailer

When you are returning your rental trailer to your service provider it is important to return it the way it was found. Remove all rubbish or debris, sweep it out if needed, check for any damage, return it on time and report any issues you may have come across.

Safe usage begins even before you have collected your trailer. Ensuring you choose the right one for your needs, carrying out safety checks, following capacity limits, adhering to road rules and loading correctly are all key areas that need to be considered.

So, whether you’re moving house, renovating, clearing out, heading off on an adventure, or moving heavy items, just remember that taking a little extra care before you leave can give you greater confidence on the road, helping to ensure you arrive safely at your destination.

Safe Travels!