The Most Essential Tips for Maintaining Your Cargo Trailer

You rely on your cargo trailer to give you the best performance when you need it most. There’s little room for error when you’re trying to transport supplies and equipment from one place to the next, especially if your business depends on it. And while you hopefully invested in a reliable model that’ll stand the test of time, no cargo trailer is immune to natural wear and tear. The best way to prolong the life of your trailer is to perform regular maintenance.

To help you out, Road Track & Trail has provided some basic preventative maintenance tips for you to follow and try out. We also have an experienced service department at our location in Big Bend, Wisconsin, that can answer any additional questions you might have, or fix any issues that are a little outside your expertise. We’re happy to help those from Milwaukee and Waukesha, as well as our neighbors in Chicago, Illinois, so contact us today!

Find Your Owner’s Manual

We’ll start with the most essential step: review your owner’s manual. Everything we provide here should apply to most cargo trailers in a general sense, but the only place you’ll find specific tips for your make and model is in your manual. If you don’t have one anymore, check out the manufacturer’s website to see if they offer online copies that you can download. Before you get started on any sort of maintenance, make sure you read through the guidelines provided in the manual.

Tire Check

The tires are the foundation of your cargo trailer and it’s important to follow all recommendations provided by your owner’s manual. Use a tire pressure gauge to regularly check the psi levels of each tire and make sure they’re within the recommended range. You’ll also want to look for signs of excessive wear and tear or damage, which could be a sign it’s time to replace them soon. 

Also remember that psi levels often change with temperature fluctuations. As the weather gets colder, pressure levels will drop and you may need to add more air to get them back to recommended levels. 

Deck Maintenance

While the deck should be made of a durable material, there are some easy ways to make sure you get the most out of it before the scratches and scuffs start to add up. Keep it clean and hose it down to get rid of grime and dirt. Depending on the material, you may need to take additional steps to protect it. Wooden decks may need to be stained periodically, while metal decks may need to fight oxidation. Refer to your owner’s manual for more details on how you should be caring for this part of the trailer, and don’t forget to perform periodic inspections to catch signs of damage. 

Pre-Trip Checks

Before each hauling trip, there are a few basic checks you’ll want to perform to avoid some of the smallest concerns that could become a much bigger issue on the road. This should include things like testing your lights to make sure they work, both on your tow vehicle and on the cargo trailer. In fact, test the entire electrical system, including breakaway switch and battery so you know everything’s in good working condition.

Also take another look at the cargo in your cargo trailer. Even if you’re using a weight distribution hitch, try to get the weight of the cargo as evenly distributed as possible. This will reduce the strain on any particular side of the trailer and make it easier to tow. 

And finally, give the entire unit one final inspection before hitting the road. You never know what you’ll spot and maintenance concerns and repairs are much easier to address when you’re close to home as opposed to the middle of the freeway. 

While there are a lot of maintenance checks you can perform at home or at your business to keep your cargo trailer running smoothly, it will also require regular visits to a professional service department. That’s where Road Track & Trail comes in. We’ll set up an appointment with one of our trained technicians and get all your concerns addressed, whether you’re just looking for a quick routine checkup or you have a more serious repair to address. You can also check out the cargo trailers for sale at our location in Big Bend, Wisconsin, serving Milwaukee and Waukesha. We also welcome those from Chicago, Illinois, so let us know how we can assist you!