One characteristic of live-bottom trailers contractors need to be aware of are the various lengths available because the longer the trailer the more difficult it could be during certain operations. “Depending upon what trailer you buy they could be 10-15 feet longer than a normal dump trailer used in an asphalt application,” Jonkman says. “You do have to be careful what jobs you put them on. If you’re in an old subdivision where the streets are very narrow you need to be sure the trucks can maneuver.”

Jonkman also suspects slightly higher maintenance costs compared to dump trucks. To preserve the condition of the trailers, Jonkman is particular about the materials that are hauled with the units. “We have no problem doing 2-inches and smaller in stone, asphalt grindings, and we haul R.C.C.,” he says. “We don’t haul any broken concrete, nor do we haul broken-out asphalt in the live-bottom trailers.”