What Size Trailer Do You Need to Haul a Skid Steer or Mini Excavator?
You bought the skid steer at auction, a neighbor is lending you his mini excavator for the weekend, or the compact tractor you have been shopping for finally showed up on a lot in Arcadia. Now comes the part nobody covers at the sale. How do you get it home without overloading a trailer or your truck.
The answer is arithmetic, and it is simpler than most people expect. You need two numbers: what your machine weighs loaded and fueled, and how much payload the trailer can legally carry. If the first is comfortably under the second, and the machine fits on the deck, you are in good shape. If it is close, you need a bigger trailer.
Here is how to run that check, using our two equipment trailers as the benchmarks.
Step one: find what your machine really weighs
Start with operating weight, not shipping weight. It is usually stamped on the machine's data plate and printed on the manufacturer's spec sheet for that exact model. Shipping weight leaves out fluids and sometimes the bucket, so it reads light and gets you in trouble.
Then add everything that rides with it. Full fluids, the bucket on the machine, and any attachment coming along all count. Forks, an auger, a breaker, a thumb, a second bucket, a pallet of pavers you squeezed on at the last minute. It all lands on the same axles.
Rule of thumb: add a safety margin instead of planning to the last pound. Rough ground, a wet deck and a machine parked slightly off center all work against a load that is legal on paper but maxed out in practice.
Step two: know what a trailer can actually carry
GVWR is the maximum the trailer is rated to weigh fully loaded. Payload capacity is that GVWR minus the empty trailer's own weight, and payload is the number your machine has to fit under.
24' Equipment Trailer: 14,000 lb GVWR minus 4,513 lb empty weight equals 9,487 lbs of payload, riding on 7,000 lb tandem axles.
14ft Equipment Trailer: 7,500 lb GVWR minus 2,500 lb empty weight equals 5,000 lbs of payload.
20ft Car Hauler: 9,890 lb GVWR minus 3,040 lb empty weight equals 6,850 lbs of payload.
The 24' Equipment Trailer is the heaviest-rated deck we rent. With 9,487 lbs of capacity, a loading ramp, electric trailer brakes and a winch, it is described as a heavy-duty trailer for hauling heavy machinery, bobcats and construction equipment. It rents at $135 per day, $596 per week or $2,235 per month. Every rate in this article is before sales tax.
The 14ft Equipment Trailer carries 5,000 lbs on a 14 foot by 7 foot deck, also with a loading ramp, electric brakes, tie-down hooks and a winch. It is a versatile trailer for landscaping equipment, ATVs and general hauling, at $80 per day, $352 per week or $1,320 per month.
Step three: check the footprint, not just the weight
This is where people get surprised. A machine can pass the weight test and still not belong on that trailer, because the deck is too short or too narrow.
Measure overall length with the bucket curled in and the boom retracted, and overall width at the widest point, usually the tires or the tracks. The whole machine should sit on the deck, not hang off the back. The 24 foot trailer gives you 24 feet of deck at 82 inches wide. The 14 foot trailer is slightly wider at 7 feet, and much shorter.
Deck length also buys you positioning options. You want the heavy end of the machine forward of the trailer axles so weight carries on the tongue rather than lifting it, and a longer deck makes that easy to get right. On a short deck with a big machine, you get one workable position and no room to correct it.
| Trailer | Deck | GVWR | Payload | Ramps / winch | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24' Equipment Trailer | 24'L x 82"W | 14,000 lbs | 9,487 lbs | Loading ramp, winch | $135 |
| 20ft Car Hauler | 20'L x 83"W | 9,890 lbs | 6,850 lbs | Slide-in ramps, winch | $135 |
| 14ft Equipment Trailer | 14'L x 7'W | 7,500 lbs | 5,000 lbs | Loading ramp, winch | $80 |
When the car hauler is the better answer
Not every machine wants a steep ramp. The 20ft Car Hauler has a wood deck, slide-in ramps and a winch, with 6,850 lbs of capacity across 20 feet of deck. Slide-in ramps let you set a longer, shallower approach, which matters for anything low to the ground that would drag or high center on a steeper angle.
It is also the pick for a side-by-side or a UTV. If you are hauling a vehicle rather than equipment, our guide on how to load a car on a flatbed trailer walks the same deck step by step.
The hookup details first timers discover in the yard
All three trailers use a 2-5/16 inch coupler, so a 2 inch ball will not work. They use a round 7 pin light plug rather than the flat 4 pin found on our utility trailers, and they all have electric brakes, which means your tow vehicle needs a working brake controller.
Check three things before you drive to the yard: a 2-5/16 inch ball rated for the load, a round 7 pin socket on your truck, and a brake controller that actually powers the trailer brakes. Electric brakes without a controller are just decoration, and on a loaded equipment trailer that is not a risk worth taking. Our post on electric brakes and Florida towing rules covers the requirement in detail.
Then confirm your truck can pull it. Tow rating, payload and tongue weight limits are in the owner's manual and on the door jamb sticker, and our tow guide helps you match a vehicle to a loaded trailer before you book.
Tying it down so it stays put
Equipment moves on a trailer if you let it. Use the trailer's tie-down hooks and pull the machine down at four separate points, front and rear, each strap or chain angled outward so the machine is pinned in both directions rather than only held down. A few habits worth keeping:
- Lower the bucket, blade or boom onto the deck before you strap. A machine resting on its attachment cannot rock.
- Set the parking brake, and leave a tracked machine in the travel position.
- Secure loose attachments separately. A bucket riding free is its own hazard.
- Use the winch to pull a dead machine up the ramp rather than pushing it.
- Stop after the first few miles and re-check every strap. They settle.
Booking one in Southwest Florida
If your machine is going to sit on a job in North Port, Punta Gorda or Port Charlotte for more than a few days, compare the weekly and monthly rates before booking by the day. On the 24 foot trailer, the $596 week costs less than five separate days, and $2,235 covers a full month.
Rentals are paid in full at booking, and you need a valid driver's license and insurance. Pickup is at 158 S Indiana Ave in Englewood, open seven days a week from 7am to 7pm. Cancellations made 48 or more hours before pickup receive a full refund, and cancellations within 48 hours are subject to a 25% fee. Optional damage protection is available at checkout.
Ready to move your machine?
Get the operating weight, add the attachments and fuel, and match it to a trailer that carries it with room to spare. Then see real-time availability and book online, or call us at (941) 841-0828 and we will help you pick the right deck for what you are hauling.