Reworked Semi Trailer Loads At Ground Level

Reworked Semi Trailer Loads At Ground Level LIVESTOCK Handling 26-4-43 David Frank gets a lot of odd looks when he pulls into the pickup line to unload cattle at the local sale barn, says his wife, Donna. That's because some people figure her husband doesn't have sense enough to get in line with the other semis. They don't always notice right away that his reworked semi trailer unloads at ground level just like a common stock trailer. He put the trailer together because he didn't want to drag a portable loading chute along whenever he needed to move cattle from one pasture to another pasture. Cattle and even baby calves can step into Frank's remodeled straight trailer from ground level, without aid of a chute or even a step. He started with an out-of-commission 1966 Wilson trailer that he picked up for $450. It needed some work, but not a lot. The trailer's tandem axles were set forward from the rear of the trailer about 8 ft. so he lowered the rear 8 ft. of floor. Inside the door to the lowered deck, Frank installed a ramp and a double-hinged folding gate. The lower end of the ramp starts 18 in. inside the door, so cattle have a flat space to step on before they start up the ramp to the higher deck. A second gate on the upper level can be moved anywhere along the sides of the trailer to split the load into two sections. Once the top deck is loaded, the ramp and the lower gate are folded out of the way, leaving an 8-ft. square lower deck area to be loaded last. The upper deck holds 20 or 21 full-grown cows, while the lower deck holds another four or five. This allows him to haul about 26 cows at a time or it'll handle 52 feeder calves. "I use it for hauling cows and calves out to pasture or to stalk fields to graze," he says. "It takes a lot less time and is much easier when you don't have to take a chute along for loading or unloading." While he made the trailer for his personal use, it wasn't long before neighbors and even cattlemen in surrounding communities heard how convenient it was. "Within a year, he ended up hauling cattle for about 30 farmers and ranchers in the surrounding area," Donna says. "The unexpected income was a bonus and we also met some very nice people." Farmers like Frank's service for several reasons: it's convenient (no chute); it's cheap (not everyone has a full load to transport); it's available (Frank doesn't truck for a living, so he's usually around to fit in a quick load or two); and the cattle stay fairly clean when hauling to market (only one level, with no cattle directly above others). He spent about $2,150 for steel (the entire floor was replaced with steel mesh), and then paid $1,500 to have it cleaned down and painted after he was finished with the remodeling. With the initial $450 cost, his finished trailer cost right at $4,000. Although there are new ground-loading trailers out there, their cost is hard to justify. In addition, Frank's fold-away ramp and gate create additional room in the back end. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, David Frank, 51788 875 Rd., Verdigre, Neb. 68783

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