Big Wade
Wade Tomlin
Wade grew up on job sites where the trailer was the first thing hooked up in the morning and the last thing anyone thanked. Years around excavation and grading work taught him the two lessons he repeats on every page, payload is the only honest number, and hydraulics fail on the day you need them unless you treat them like equipment. He covers dump trailers, equipment haulers, flatbeds, and everything weight-related, and his sizing advice always starts the same way, weigh your load, then weigh it again with the attachment on. Big Wade writes for the buyer who works the trailer hard and can't afford to buy twice.
Beat
Dump, equipment, flatbed, and capacity
Articles by Big Wade
Selected from their beatEquipment Trailers. The Complete Guide.
The complete buyer's guide to new equipment trailers, covering ramps, capacity classes, deck builds, brands, towing requirements, and pricing strategy.
Read article → EquipmentBumper-Pull Equipment Trailers Explained.
How bumper-pull equipment trailers work, honest capacity limits through 14K, ramps, specs, and what to check before buying.
Read article → CapacityTrailer Weight & Capacity. Match the Rating to the Load.
The capacity guide, GVWR classes from 3,500 to 24,000-plus pounds, the payload math, axles, brakes, tires, and how to buy the right rating.
Read article → Use CaseBest Trailers for Hauling a Tractor.
The best trailers for hauling a tractor, weights from subcompact to utility class, implement math, loading angles, trailer sizing, and buying checks.
Read article → CapacityTrailer Payload vs. Curb Weight Explained.
The subtraction that runs every trailer purchase, GVWR minus empty weight, why identical badges carry different payloads, and how to find the real numbers.
Read article → Brand ComparisonPJ vs. Load Trail. The Honest Comparison.
PJ Trailers or Load Trail, two working-line builders compared. Lineups, spec philosophies, dealer math, and the model-level method that decides.
Read article → Use CaseBest Trailers for Junk Removal and Demolition Debris.
The best trailers for junk hauling and demo debris, material weights, the dump trailer standard, high sides for volume, disposal-site craft, and safety.
Read article → CapacityThe 24,000-Pound and Up Trailer Classes Explained.
The heavy commercial tiers, 24K through 40,000-plus GVWR, tridem and heavy tandem axles, real payload, air brakes, and the compliance stack that defines them.
Read article → EquipmentHeavy-Duty Equipment Trailers Explained.
How heavy-duty equipment trailers handle 16K and up, I-beam frames, triple axles, dovetails, commercial specs, and what to check before buying.
Read article → FlatbedFlatbed Trailers. The Complete Guide.
The complete buyer's guide to new flatbed trailers, covering deck styles, dovetails, sizes, payload, brands, towing requirements, and pricing strategy.
Read article → Use CaseTrailers by Use Case. Match the Trailer to the Job.
The use-case guide, trailers matched to real jobs and buyers, hauling machines, material, vehicles, and cargo, and the businesses built on each.
Read article → Use CaseBest Trailers for Hauling Gravel, Dirt and Debris.
The best trailers for gravel, dirt, and debris, with material weights per yard, dump trailer sizing, overload math, and what to buy by budget and volume.
Read article →Recent Guides
Dump Trailer Hydraulics, Without the Sales Pitch
How dump trailer lift systems work, what fails first, and how to inspect one before your money leaves the bank.
Five Trailer Features You're Paying For and Don't Need
The option sheet is where the margin lives. Here is what to question before you sign and what deserves the money instead.