Trucking: Lowboy Vs. Wedge, lowboy, lowboys

Question
Mr. Stephens,
 I have gotten alot of questions answered already through past answers to people so thank you for helping us beginners out. I am interested in buying a 2-3 car lowboy gooseneck and a two door diesel dually pickup to start a business. I have been told lowboys are better than wedge trailer because they are easier to handle, easier to park, better on gas economy, and if you misjudge a car, it falls a couple of feet, as opposed to a 6 or 8 foot drop. If all of this is true, than shouldn't I go with the lowboy? If not, why? The person I talked with was biased about the lowboy so I was wondering if you knew any downfalls to them or any reason to by a wedge trailer instead. Also, the trailer is 40 feet long, do I need a CDL to operate it on a multi-state highway trip? Thanks.
                                Tanner

Answer
Hi Tanner.

I prefer the wedge for a few reasons.  The reasons are I listed below.

1.  You can cheat the front of a car over the nose of the  trailer.  On a lowboy, you can only go so far. So being equal length trailers, I think you could put the larger vehicles on the wedge.

2.  There is no storage room on the lowboy.  The wedge has a nice area under the front vehicles to put a large tool box for chains, straps, tarps (you never know), etc.

3. I've pulled a lowboy for about a year.  I rubbed bottom on many roads and darn near got stuck on some RR tracks once in Virginia.  Depending on the model, the wedges will always have more clearance.  Doesn't sound like a big deal,  until you have to call that tow truck at $200 an hour.  Hauling cars people are going to ask you to go on some back roads for p/u and delivery.

4.  Depending on the lowboy, it will have removeable fenders so you can open the car door once it's loaded.  Yet, another pain in the neck.

5.  Again, depending on the trailers, it's usually easier to mount a winch on the wedge.  On certain lowboys, the landing gear is in the way...and yes, get a winch.

6.  Finally, I think it's much easier to strap a car down on a wedge.  Especially, if it's open in the middle.  With the lowboy, your crawling around on the ground with every car.

Now, I would concede on a few points.  Yes, your probably getting better fuel mileage with a lowboy.  Thing is, if your hauling bigger vehicles on the the wedge compared to the lowboy, you are charging more and should be making that money back and then some.  Also, many lowboy weigh more than wedges which equals more fuel burnt.

Easier to handle?  OK, lower center of gravity goes to the lowboy (but see response number 3).

Easier to park?  Thats like saying apples are more red than a Fire truck.  THEY'RE BOTH RED!  Either one is easy to park if you know what your doing.

If you have to worry about a car falling, you may want to be an electrican.  It's really not that hard to load cars on either and if a car flys off, your calling the insurance company anyway.  Again, I think this is a non-issue and I wouldn't base a trailer on this.

Finally, contact your state's DMV for licensing info.  You'll probably need a Class B CDL.

Also, if your getting a diesel, don't ever use the word "gas".  From now on, your worried about "fuel" economy and you fill up with "diesel fuel".  You can pick out the greenhorns when they say "gas". :)

Good luck!

Bob Stephens