4 Reasons to Choose a Steel Flat Top Trailer Over Aluminium

Posted on: 23 March 2023

Flat top trailers are ideal for hauling cargo, and a wide range of options lets you choose the best type to fit your needs. Of course, it can sometimes be tricky to make a final decision, and many drivers find themselves struggling to choose between a steel flat top trailer or an aluminium flat top trailer.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer since each material offers its own pros and cons, but here are just four reasons why you should consider a steel flat top over an aluminium flat top.

1. More Robust

Steel and aluminium are both strong metals, but steel is the stronger option. It is far more rigid, which means a steel trailer will be far harder to bend or dent than an aluminium trailer. This is ideal for all drivers, but it's going to be particularly beneficial if you will often be taking your flat top trailer across rocky or uneven terrain. Any bumps or dings your trailer is subjected to while driving across such terrain are going to be less likely to damage a steel trailer.

2. Easy to Repair

Steel trailers aren't just harder to damage than aluminium trailers — they're also much easier to repair in the unlikely event that damage is sustained. You'll generally find it much easier to find someone who can repair a steel trailer, and the equipment needed to carry out those repairs is much more widely used. As such, repairing a steel flat top trailer will typically be faster, cheaper, and easier than repairing an aluminium flat top trailer.

3. Lower Cost

Cost is always going to be a major concern when you're comparing flat top trailers, and here you'll see steel coming out ahead. It's a far more economical metal to produce than aluminium, so you'll tend to find that a steel flat top trailer is considerably less expensive than an aluminium trailer of the same size. The difference will only grow larger if you're looking at larger trailers with multiple axles, so those looking to keep costs under control are likely to find that steel is a better option.

4. Better Load Capacity

Finally, it's worth keeping in mind that steel's greater strength means it can hold more weight. Compare a steel trailer against an aluminium trailer with a similarly sized deck area and you should find the former offers a significantly higher load capacity. You can always compensate by choosing a longer or wider aluminium trailer, but this has the knock-on effect of making your vehicle much harder to handle.

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