(888) 699-7164

Here's the deal: What you need to understand is that Hamilton loves making custom trailers that can do anything our customers want them to. Nothing pleases us more than focusing all our powers and resources to make industrial towing power happen. In the case of this drop deck trailer, we went low, so productivity could go high.

Check it out: a beast of a cart designed to transport outrageously heavy and cumbersome plastic injection molding dies indoors for maintenance and upgrades. The trailer had to be able to attach to an e-power pusher— those practical & flexible powered trailer products designed to eliminate the strain of manually pushing and pulling heavy carts and wheeled equipment. So we did a collaboration with one of our material handling partners to produce a one-two punch of load-hauling greatness.

The drop deck in the center works double duty: it keeps the center of gravity as low as possible and reduces the overall height of the load as it’s transported through the plant. The trailer’s rigid tongue was custom engineered so it’s perfectly positioned to attach to the e-power pusher. Underneath, Hamilton’s 22-inch diameter TerraTech Press-On Polyurethane Wheels are designed with extra large precision ball bearings that reduce the force required to initiate movement - which is an important benefit when pairing with a power pusher.

And now for the drop-deck gorgeous specs:

Drop deck caster-steer trailer

• Capacity: 120,000 pounds
• Deck Size: 85" wide x 92" long
• Deck Material: Smooth steel plate
• Deck Height: 14"
• Steering Type: Swivel caster style
• Running Gear:
  1. Front: 2 dual-wheel swivel casters
  2. Rear: Dual mounted load wheels fitted into rigid mounted side plates.
  3. Wheels: 22 X 10 TerraTech Ultra Press-On Polyurethane Wheels
• Couplers: Rigid tongue with towing eye 22" above the ground and 22" away from trailer frame
• Color: Jet Black Epoxy
• Stenciling & Marking: Capacity stenciled on both frame sides
• Weight: 17,300 lbs.

Read More

If you’ve ever watched stamping dies—those one-of-a-kind precision tools that cut and shape sheet metal parts—do their thing, you know they’re pretty cool. You also know they’re pretty heavy. It’s a good thing Hamilton carts are masters at transporting monstrous stamping dies for our customers everywhere. In fact, it’s one of the most common applications for which we build trailers.

Here’s a pic of a recent beauty we designed for a major American car manufacturing facility. Engineered to withstand a whopping 100,000-pound payload, the cart features a wooden deck for extra scratch protection. Four-wheel steering ensures the 180-inch-long cart is cornering tight aisles and intersections like a champ.

It all adds up to one wheely productive ride.

Die Transport Trailer

• Capacity: 100,000 lbs.
• Deck Size: 96" wide x 180" long
• Deck Material: Wood
• Steering Type: 4-wheel steer
• Running Gear: Triple-mounted 22 x 10 press-on polyurethane wheels with tapered bearings
• Color: Safety Yellow
• Superstructure: Superstructure: None
• Couplers: Front: Loop-type towing tongue; Rear: None
• Other: Safety hooks and chains to accommodate customer's tugger
• Estimated Weight: 8,500 - 9,000 lbs.

Read More

They say one good thing leads to another. In the Hamilton universe, the more it’s about wheels, the greater the good, in our opinion. That’s why this custom trailer we designed for an engine components repair company has so many good wheel vibrations. Created to transport crankshafts weighing up to 10,000 pounds, it features two fabricated steel cradle wheel assemblies (one fixed, one adjustable) to rotate different-sized crankshafts. The wheels can also be mounted in three different locations, depending on the crankshaft’s main journal size. Lifting shackles attached to the cradles provide the option to secure the crankshaft in place. We also designed a custom socket to install the wheels, as well as special wheel-attaching hardware to be flush with the wheel’s width profile. And that’s just for the wheels on top.

Special sockets were designed then CNC-Machined inhouse to secure the cradle wheels.

The trailer’s dual wheel casters (mounted up inside the frame to help minimize the center of gravity) with ball bearings help reduce the force needed to move the cart, while holes punched into the cart side rails provide easy swivel lock access for a tight stop. There are also mounting holes on all four sides to accommodate a powered pusher for extra power.

It all adds up to one wheely productive ride.

Crankshaft Transport Trailer

• Capacity: 10,000 lbs.
• Deck Material: Smooth steel
• Steering Type: Steering caster style
• Running Gear: (4) S-EHD-12DB-4SL
• Color: Safety Yellow
• Superstructure: Includes 2 fabricated steel cradle assemblies (1 fixed and 1 moveable) to carry various length crankshafts. The moveable cradle features 82” horizontal travel with infinite latching positions within that travel. The cradles are approximately 12” tall to allow crankshafts with counterweights to be manually rotated and clear the deck. Crankshafts are supported using wheel type rollers that contact the main journals of the crankshaft.

Read More

For those of you still enjoying that 400-foot roll of aluminum foil you bought at Costco five years ago, this cart’s for you: A custom Hamilton trailer designed to haul 132,000-pound rolls of aluminum in between manufacturing facilities at a leading aluminum rolled products company.

It’s an 18-footer, with a highly versatile fifth wheel steering system that’s perfect for power towing. Imagine all the Jurassic-sized Thanksgiving leftovers you could wrap for all eternity.

Here are the monster specs:

All-steel fifth wheel steer trailer

• Capacity: 150,000 lbs
• Deck Size: 72" wide x 216" long
• Deck Material: Smooth plate steel
• Steering Type: Fifth wheel steer
• Running Gear: (8) 22" diameter by 12" wide W-POY-2212-2XL Press-on Poly
• Couplers: Loop-type towing tongue
• Color: Yellow epoxy

Read More

This time of year, you see a lot of model trains circling fireside Christmas trees, but nothing says “Santa’s Nice List” more than our new standard line of heavy-duty, high-capacity rail carts. Previously only available for custom jobs, our new rail carts are pre-engineered for quick turnaround and built to meet all your demanding applications.

Common applications include hauling steel rolls, structural steel bars, cylinders and plate steel on pre-built rail systems. Hamilton prefab trailers are available in four load capacities: 5K, 10K, 20K and 40K, with standard flatcar deck lengths starting at 6 feet and up. Need something more custom? We can design your deck to be as low as 4 1/8” and fit any track width needed.

Ready to put a shiny new Hamilton rail cart under your factory Christmas tree? Call 1-888-699-7164 for more details and pricing. See specs and learn more.

Read More

How low can you go?

This was the question posed to Hamilton for a recent custom order we delivered to a leading aerospace and defense company. They wanted a nimble trailer to transport a very large electrical switchboard being manufactured for the U.S. Navy.

Hamilton engineers immediately got down on the ground to “rise to the challenge,” so to speak. The customer needed a highly maneuverable trailer for two reasons: 1) Their largest forklift truck was not able to safely lift the load and move it around on the factory floor 2) They wanted a trailer that could spin around from its center—not only to safely corner extremely tight aisles but also so the switchboard could be worked on while on the trailer itself

Height and agility were key here. The trailer couldn’t be higher than eight inches off the floor so workers could safely service the switchboard without a ladder (the switchboard doesn’t sit directly on the trailer but rather on a steel base and large shipping pallet that adds approximately 16 inches to the switchboard height). In the photos, you can see that our casters are almost camouflaged like covert Ninjas working their magic under the hood.

To stay low and nimble but also handle the weight, the trailer uses swivel casters on all four sides, with directional locking steering casters placed at the center. This makes it easy for electric tuggers to push or pull the trailer any which way. Heavy-duty floor locks at each trailer corner ensure that everything stays put while the switchboard is being worked on. The customer’s ultimate goal is for future switchboards to be built from scratch directly on the trailers.

The end experience is stealthy, streamlined and safe, with minimum footprint. The trailer is just slightly larger than the footprint of the base that the switchboard sits on.

Everything you need. Nothing you don’t. And safety, always. That’s Hamilton trailers.

All Steel Caster Steer Trailer

• Capacity: 10,000 lbs.
• Deck Size: 74” wide x 110” long
• Deck Height: 8”
• Deck Material: Smooth sheet steel 1” lip around the perimeter
• Steering Type: Caster-Steer
• Running Gear: Four S-HS2-5DB on the corners, Two S-HS2-5DB-4SL in the center
• Coupler: Pushed/pulled by electric pusher – no hitch
• Other: Four heavy-duty cast iron floor locks on each corner
• Color: Federal Blue

Read More

Duality. It’s what keeps life humming in harmony. A prime example: this custom trailer we designed for a prominent wastewater general contractor. Sure, it’s easy on the eyes, with its sleek lines and bonny colors. How can something so beautiful be so brawny, you ask?

The custom trailer was ordered by a prominent wastewater general contractor to transport sludge screens in a harsh operating environment (fun fact: sludge screens are used to remove unwanted debris, such as hair and plastics, from waterways to reduce blockages). Good thing we equipped the trailer with stainless steel hardware, mold-on poly tread wheels with aluminum centers, and a tough epoxy paint finish. Because the screens can be cumbersome to handle, we added a bumper around the trailer perimeter to provide extra protection when loading and unloading, as well as to guard against incidental contact. A tongue-activated parking brake ensures the trailer stays put when stored.

Cue the Zen-flowing summary:

Hamilton trailers: Engineered-from-the-toughest-materials-on-earth-to-move-heavy-bulky-equipment-and-we-look-gorgeous-doing-it-too.

Read More

Diehard Hamilton fans may remember when we introduced our e-Power Cart Solutions to turbo-charge your workforce a few years ago. To continue our goodwill towards backs and spines everywhere, we’re excited to announce the debut of two new powered trailer product lines—both engineered to eliminate the strain of manually pushing and pulling heavy carts and wheeled equipment.

First up, a series of 4 industrial electric e-power pushers designed to push/pull trailers loaded with heavy cargo any which way. With a payload capacity of between 3,000 and 100,000 pounds, these power pushers are more cost-effective alternatives to traditional maintenance forklifts. They’re also a lot more versatile and maneuverable—and with a smaller footprint, too. When combined with our line of industrial trailers, you can move loads effortlessly throughout your plant.

In the all-in-one power category, our second product line features e-power movers with easy steering push/pull capability for added flexibility. The beds can be customized with a variety of superstructures to fit your needs: cradles, shelves, racks, tool holders, part carousels—whatever elaborate fixture your imagination can conjure to help you get the job done right.

Happy trailers to youuuuu.

Read More

“We can’t do that,” said no design engineer ever at Hamilton. In fact, we love to take on custom jobs that bend our brains and test our limits. Case in point: This bespoke trailer we designed for a leading global manufacturer of basketball systems and other sports and recreational equipment.

The customer needed a transport truck to haul heavy equipment up and down a ramp with a four-foot rise over twenty feet. They didn’t trust their own towing vehicles to keep the cargo secure during unexpected starts and stops on incline. So they called in the big guns at Hamilton to design a trailer with its own electronic power brake system to make sure cargo stays snug every which way.

Adding a brake system and wires is not something we typically do, but that’s what sets Hamilton apart. The electric brakes operate similar to what you would get with any over-the-road trailer, such as a camper. The electric from the tugging vehicle travels back through the wiring to the trailer rear to apply the brakes. With a standard over-the-road trailer, it’s easy to get the wire up to the coupler since everything is rigid. But with a fifth-wheel steering trailer such as ours—where the front running gear actually turns—Hamilton had to get creative. To keep everything protected and up where it needs to be, we ran a conduit line back to that 5th wheel with extra wiring that flexed with the running gear.

Finally, to minimize swelling during summer heat and humidity, we added capping angles bolted to the frame to resist warpage. A Marine-grade epoxy finish ensure the trailer can stand up to the most punishing environments.

Here are the no-holds-barred specs:

Mold Transport Trailer

• Capacity: 10,000 lbs.
• Deck Size: 72” wide x 120” long
• Deck Height: 29”
• Deck Material: Hardwood with flat steel hold down strips along each frame side
• Steering Type: Single 5th wheel style
• Brakes:
  • Rear axle to include electric brakes and necessary wiring to tongue.
  • Note: trailers will negotiate a ramp that has a 4-foot rise over 20 feet
• Running Gear: Four 22" diameter X 8" Press On wheels
• Couplers: Tongue for a 2-5/16” ball
• Other: 10 tie down rings (Five evenly spaced on each side frame)
• Color: Safety Yellow epoxy

Read More

Okay, so we wouldn’t dare use a few shameless Top Gun references to tout our latest custom Hamilton trailer. But this beauty we designed for none other than the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds—those mighty jets that headline air and water shows everywhere—is the Maverick of all trailers. Sorry not sorry!

Our mission: Custom-engineer a low-riding trailer to carry test equipment on and off transport planes that accompany the Thunderbirds to their next show. The trailer base had to be low enough for clearance, but stable enough to carry the haul—contained in tall, narrow cabinets—up and down aircraft ramps and onto the tarmac. To protect such precious cargo, we gave the trailers extra cushioning with four 18-inch-diameter pneumatic tires. Lever activated scrub brakes ensure the trailers stay put when parked, while lashing rings on all sides provide extra security to lock down that load. Did someone say wingman?

Enter the danger zone specs:

Test Equipment Transport Trailer

• Capacity: 2,000 lbs.
• Deck Size: 28" wide X 60" long
• Deck Height: 13"
• Deck Material: Smooth steel plate
• Clearance under frame: 8” minimum
• Steering Type: 2-wheel knuckle style
• Running Gear: Four 18" diameter full pneumatic tires mounted to steel rims and bolt-on hubs fitted with tapered roller bearings
• Brakes: Lever-activated scrub brake
• Couplers: Front, Tongue with towing eye; Rear, none
• Other: 2 tie-down rings on each side frame (8 total)
• Finish: White epoxy

Read More