Licensed and Insured Labor-Only Movers
Washington, Utah

Plenty of moves here involve a trailer rather than a truck: a rental trailer behind a pickup, or a personal utility trailer. They are cheap and useful and they have one characteristic that a truck does not.

A badly loaded trailer sways, and trailer sway at speed is genuinely dangerous.

Just-In-Time Moving works throughout Washington and Washington County. We are licensed in Utah and carry general liability insurance.

Weight forward, and this is not optional

The single most important thing. A meaningful proportion of the load's weight should sit ahead of the trailer's axle, pressing down on the hitch.

That downward force at the coupling is what keeps a trailer tracking straight. Too little of it, or weight concentrated behind the axle, and the trailer begins to oscillate. Once sway starts at speed it worsens on its own and is difficult to recover.

So the heavy items go at the front, over and slightly ahead of the axle, and light items go to the rear. This is the opposite of what people do, because the heavy things get loaded last and end up at the back.

Your vehicle and trailer both have tongue weight and towing limits. Look them up rather than assuming.

Then the ordinary rules

Heavy low, light on top. Build in tiers, wall to wall, and strap each section to the anchor points before starting the next.

Fill every gap with soft goods so nothing can slide.

Distribute weight evenly side to side; a trailer loaded heavier on one side handles badly and wears the tyre.

Before you drive

Check tyre pressures on the trailer, which are frequently ignored and are a common cause of failure. Check the lights, the coupling, the safety chains and that the load is secured.

Then drive differently: slower, longer stopping distances, wider turns, and no sudden steering. Crosswinds and passing trucks both affect a trailer more than a vehicle.

Stop after the first few miles and check the straps. Loads settle early.

Do not overload

The temptation with a trailer is to keep filling it. Weight limits are structural rather than advisory, and an overloaded trailer stops badly and can fail.

Two trips with a properly loaded trailer beats one with an overloaded one.

We load trailers

Tell us the trailer size and the tow vehicle, and we will load it with the weight distribution right. Estimate free and in writing.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.