Trailer Hauling for Beginners

You’ve bought a trailer for the first time and now you want to learn how to load and haul it. We have you covered! Here are some tips to help make it as easy as possible:

Prepping your Trailer:

• Make sure to use tie-downs and ropes to secure your cargo on your trailer - you don’t want anything to fly off!
•  In most cases you should load heavier things on to the front of your trailer - but always double check with your trailer manufacturer.
• Do not not evenly disperse your load - instead keep about 60% of the weight upfront. 

Now that your trailer is hooked up there are a few things you should do while driving to avoid dangerous situations

• Do not exceed 55 miles per hour.
• Leave 4 to 5 seconds of space between you and the vehicle in front of you. This will give you more time to react if the car in front of you stops suddenly. 
• Wear your seat belt.
• Make sure you are alert the whole time you are driving.
• Make wider turns so that your trailer does not hit the curb.
• Do not speed up or brake if your trailer starts swaying; instead take your foot off the gas pedal.
• When going downhill you should use the same gear as going uphill.
• Always slowdown when you are driving downhill.
• Give yourself more space when passing.

Parking a trailer is an art!

• Make sure you are parking with an exit in mind. Don’t get yourself in a situation where you will have to reverse to get out.
• One neat trick is to steer from the bottom of the steering wheel. Turning the wheel to the right makes the trailer go right and turning the wheel to the left makes the trailer go left.
• When backing up if you start to go the wrong way or start to jack knife it is usually best to pull forward and try again.
• Above all you need to be patient and take your time - it does get easier the more you do it.