If you're in the transport business, a dump trailer is one of the most important tools in your arsenal. With it, you can haul just about anything from rocks to biosolids — whatever you need to remove from a site. Once you've arrived at the dump zone, simply press a button and one side of the trailer will lift, dropping everything out of the back end.

A sludge trailer operates by the same principle, except instead of hauling solids, it usually handles liquids like sludge. These require more specialized equipment than regular dump trailers because they need to be fully enclosed and they require a special type of motor to get all the sludge out. It's a huge mistake to assume that you can use a regular trailer for something like sludge, so make sure that reserve the right type of trailer for the job you're doing.

What Kind of Dump Trailers Are There?

Depending on your need, you can hire out a dump trailer service for all different types of projects. You can get dump trailers from anywhere between 8-30 feet in length, with the most common being the 14-footer due to its ease of towing. You can also hire one with side gates that open or a deckover trailer that sits higher but can also carry more of a load.

Companies that transport sludge usually have trailers that have undergone an anti-rusting chemical bath. They'll certainly look different than the average trailer, but that's to protect every nook and cranny inside the trailer from oxidizing over time. If companies don't protect a trailer from rust, its lifespan will be much shorter.

How Are Sludge Trailers Different?

As mentioned above, sludge trailers differ from regular trailers in two distinct ways. First, sludge trailers are normally fully enclosed to keep what is being hauled from sloshing out of the back end during transport. These trailers are usually sealed and resealed often to prevent even minor leakage.

Second, while all dump trailers have a hydraulic lift that can tilt one end of the trailer up and dump the contents out of the back, sludge trailers have a secondary mechanism that forces the sludge to the back. Biosolids have a tendency to stick to surfaces; without this mechanism, one of the trailers will accumulate debris and could produce a clog. Accumulation over time renders the dump trailer ineffective and will also make it deteriorate faster.

To learn more, contact a resource like Duffield Hauling INC.

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