Why are so many new hopper bottoms only 96" wide?

Oct 05, 2014 at 10:16 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I'm wondering why so many new hoppers are only 96" wide vs 102"? Is it an aerodynamic advantage being 96" ? Wouldn't that extra 6"s in width give the advantage of being able to have a trailer a couple of feet shorter yet have the same capacity? I would of thought being a little shorter but wider would be a tare weight advantage as the frame doesn't need to be bigger for a little more width but if your trailer is a couple of feet longer then that's more frame and side walls. Am I missing something?

Replied on Mon, Oct 06, 2014 at 09:24 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. The fuel savings and aero-d , makes our drivers all ask for 96

Replied on Mon, Oct 06, 2014 at 01:18 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Bigger capacity and more importantly,wider doors for sticky product..

Replied on Mon, Oct 06, 2014 at 09:27 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Bigger capacity and more importantly,wider doors for sticky product.." Wouldn't that be the case @ 102" wide?

Replied on Tue, Oct 07, 2014 at 10:48 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Wouldn't that be the case @ 102" wide?" Yes,102"wide have bigger doors especially on Timpte's.

Replied on Tue, Oct 07, 2014 at 10:54 AM CST + 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. In all my years with wide&tall(84")hopper,the old antiquated elevators like Shields,KS&flour mill at McPherson,KS are the only ones to be really tight.

Replied on Tue, Oct 07, 2014 at 04:39 PM CST + 1 - 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. The answer lies not in how much more you can haul in one versus the other, but in the fact tha most smaller roads only allow upto 96" wide on them. Check out the restrictions on most secondary roads in most states and you will find this to be true. Most states limit the 101 and 102 to Interstates, US Hwys, and truck routes, anything else is 96". Now I know most of us don't pay attention to those little notes in the Atlas but one of our drivers was running in MD backroading with a 101 Dry Van and got a $500.00 ticket. Beings most hopper work is done on secondary roads, that is why they stick with the 96 vs the 101/102. The salesman tried to sell me the 101/102 because of a little more capacity, I told him if all we ran was primary routes then that would work. He looked at me with the deer in the headlight look, I told him just keep to sales and don't plan on running a trucking company. '

Replied on Tue, Oct 07, 2014 at 04:39 PM CST

+ 1 - 1

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

The answer lies not in how much more you can haul in one versus the other, but in the fact tha most smaller roads only allow upto 96" wide on them. Check out the restrictions on most secondary roads in most states and you will find this to be true. Most states limit the 101 and 102 to Interstates, US Hwys, and truck routes, anything else is 96". Now I know most of us don't pay attention to those little notes in the Atlas but one of our drivers was running in MD backroading with a 101 Dry Van and got a $500.00 ticket.

Beings most hopper work is done on secondary roads, that is why they stick with the 96 vs the 101/102. The salesman tried to sell me the 101/102 because of a little more capacity, I told him if all we ran was primary routes then that would work. He looked at me with the deer in the headlight look, I told him just keep to sales and don't plan on running a trucking company.

'

Replied on Wed, Oct 08, 2014 at 08:09 AM CST + 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Areo would be my guess. I run a 102 for capacity bottom line. But if you don't haul DDGs or wheat Midds or cotton seed go with a 96". Also from my area many farmers are buying hoppers and it's easier to get in the small elevators with a 96" so if your looking for resale value in the farmers eyes you'll get value from a 96 over a 102.

Replied on Fri, Oct 10, 2014 at 08:55 PM CST + 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Its weight vs length, a 96 foot a little longer is 500 pounds lighter than a 102 shorter, call your tempte dealer, thats what they told me, and they dont grab the road toooo..

Replied on Sat, Oct 11, 2014 at 01:36 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Well question is you have 96" wide trailer,unlesss your runing power unit like a b61 mack or shorter syle truck it ok but most truck mirror are around 102 wide so ideal of buy narrow trailer for elevator an highway don't make sence

Replied on Sat, Oct 11, 2014 at 09:21 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Its lighter to higher than it is wider on a grain trailer. Good Luck

Replied on Sun, Oct 12, 2014 at 11:33 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Thank you everybody for the helpful replies. I talked to the Timpte dealer and he confirmed what you all were saying, a 42'L x 96"W x 72"H is lighter and has more capacity than a 40'L x 102"W x 72"H. I would have thought the complete opposite but I guess I ain't no rocket scientist! Lol. Is Timpte a better trailer than Willson? I'm considering one of these two but not sure which is the best or lightest, not as worried about price as I am durability and being as lightweight as possible. My tractor weighs 22,500lbs which means I'll be struggling to get 49,000lbs payload. Understandably there's going to be brand loyalty as with anything but I appreciate all you seasoned hopper guys opinions on your experience and what has or hasn't worked well for you. Thanks.

Replied on Sun, Oct 12, 2014 at 11:33 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Thank you everybody for the helpful replies. I talked to the Timpte dealer and he confirmed what you all were saying, a 42'L x 96"W x 72"H is lighter and has more capacity than a 40'L x 102"W x 72"H. I would have thought the complete opposite but I guess I ain't no rocket scientist! Lol.
Is Timpte a better trailer than Willson? I'm considering one of these two but not sure which is the best or lightest, not as worried about price as I am durability and being as lightweight as possible. My tractor weighs 22,500lbs which means I'll be struggling to get 49,000lbs payload.
Understandably there's going to be brand loyalty as with anything but I appreciate all you seasoned hopper guys opinions on your experience and what has or hasn't worked well for you.
Thanks.

Replied on Sun, Oct 12, 2014 at 12:31 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Here are the specs for our 2014 Timpte: 40' x 96" x 78" holds 1513 bu. hyrdralic doors commercial bottoms vs. ag (your choice depending on application) alum. rims on outside steel on inside steel fith wheel coupler plate vs aluminum steel frame vs aluminum air up system on tires siver/grey paint (extra 100lbs) white is the lightest Total weight: 9010 lbs You could save 435 lbs by going to the aluminum coupler but it will not last as long and the cost is not worth it. You could save 206 lbs by going to the aluminum sub frame but it will not last as long and the cost is not worth it. You could save 764 lbs by going to the inner rims aluminum the cost may be worth it for your application. You could save 100 lbs by going with the standard white paint vs the silver/grey and save money as well. If you ordered the same specs as us with white vs silver, 8 aluminum rims vs 4 Your total weight for the trailer would be: 8400 - 8500 lbs. if you went to 72 vs 78 sides you would drop another 100 - 200 lbs. Right now our total weight for tractor and trailer: 28,850 Tractor: Volvo 780 bobtail weight: 19,840 The only model we found that was lighter was the Cornhusker, but they did not seem to hold up as well. This Wilson is a little bit heavier and cost a little bit more as well. My opinion if hauling cattle stick with the Wilson, if hauling grain stick with the Tempte.

Replied on Sun, Oct 12, 2014 at 12:31 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Here are the specs for our 2014 Timpte:

40' x 96" x 78" holds 1513 bu.
hyrdralic doors
commercial bottoms vs. ag (your choice depending on application)
alum. rims on outside steel on inside
steel fith wheel coupler plate vs aluminum
steel frame vs aluminum
air up system on tires
siver/grey paint (extra 100lbs) white is the lightest

Total weight: 9010 lbs

You could save 435 lbs by going to the aluminum coupler but it will not last as long and the cost is not worth it.
You could save 206 lbs by going to the aluminum sub frame but it will not last as long and the cost is not worth it.
You could save 764 lbs by going to the inner rims aluminum the cost may be worth it for your application.
You could save 100 lbs by going with the standard white paint vs the silver/grey and save money as well.

If you ordered the same specs as us with white vs silver, 8 aluminum rims vs 4

Your total weight for the trailer would be: 8400 - 8500 lbs.

if you went to 72 vs 78 sides you would drop another 100 - 200 lbs.

Right now our total weight for tractor and trailer: 28,850

Tractor: Volvo 780 bobtail weight: 19,840

The only model we found that was lighter was the Cornhusker, but they did not seem to hold up as well. This Wilson is a little bit heavier and cost a little bit more as well. My opinion if hauling cattle stick with the Wilson, if hauling grain stick with the Tempte.

Replied on Sun, Oct 12, 2014 at 01:12 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Here are the specs for our 2014 Timpte: 40' x 96" x 78" holds 1513 bu. hyrdralic doors commercial bottoms vs. ag (your choice depending on application) alum. rims on outside steel on inside steel fith wheel coupler plate vs aluminum steel frame vs aluminum air up system on tires siver/grey paint (extra 100lbs) white is the lightest Total weight: 9010 lbs You could save 435 lbs by going to the aluminum coupler but it will not last as long and the cost is not worth it. You could save 206 lbs by going to the aluminum sub frame but it will not last as long and the cost is not worth it. You could save 764 lbs by going to the inner rims aluminum the cost may be worth it for your application. You could save 100 lbs by going with the standard white paint vs the silver/grey and save money as well. If you ordered the same specs as us with white vs silver, 8 aluminum rims vs 4 Your total weight for the trailer would be: 8400 - 8500 lbs. if you went to 72 vs 78 sides you would drop another 100 - 200 lbs. Right now our total weight for tractor and trailer: 28,850 Tractor: Volvo 780 bobtail weight: 19,840 The only model we found that was lighter was the Cornhusker, but they did not seem to hold up as well. This Wilson is a little bit heavier and cost a little bit more as well. My opinion if hauling cattle stick with the Wilson, if hauling grain stick with the Tempte. " Thanks Alfred, that's a very good / informative reply. Do you find you can haul most com oddities with that size trailer? I wish my VNL630 was as light as your 780!

Replied on Sun, Oct 12, 2014 at 01:12 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "Here are the specs for our 2014 Timpte: 40' x 96" x 78" holds 1513 bu. hyrdralic doors commercial bottoms vs. ag (your choice depending on application) alum. rims on outside steel on inside steel fith wheel coupler plate vs aluminum steel frame vs aluminum air up system on tires siver/grey paint (extra 100lbs) white is the lightest Total weight: 9010 lbs You could save 435 lbs by going to the aluminum coupler but it will not last as long and the cost is not worth it. You could save 206 lbs by going to the aluminum sub frame but it will not last as long and the cost is not worth it. You could save 764 lbs by going to the inner rims aluminum the cost may be worth it for your application. You could save 100 lbs by going with the standard white paint vs the silver/grey and save money as well. If you ordered the same specs as us with white vs silver, 8 aluminum rims vs 4 Your total weight for the trailer would be: 8400 - 8500 lbs. if you went to 72 vs 78 sides you would drop another 100 - 200 lbs. Right now our total weight for tractor and trailer: 28,850 Tractor: Volvo 780 bobtail weight: 19,840 The only model we found that was lighter was the Cornhusker, but they did not seem to hold up as well. This Wilson is a little bit heavier and cost a little bit more as well. My opinion if hauling cattle stick with the Wilson, if hauling grain stick with the Tempte. "

Thanks Alfred, that's a very good / informative reply. Do you find you can haul most com oddities with that size trailer?
I wish my VNL630 was as light as your 780!

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 02:43 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Great topic to talk about....I bought a 2013 Wilson DWH-551PM, 43'long, 96' wide, 78' sides....aluminium everything. Wilson does have an option of getting aluminum I-beam subframe in the back and it is very robust and probably tougher than C-channel that is commonly seen. Also I speced the high volume hopper for lightweight commodities and is 40 pounds lighter than standard hoppers. Also got the electric doors. My wagon comes in around 8,500 pounds. I hope it helps. Good luck and be safe.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 02:43 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Great topic to talk about....I bought a 2013 Wilson DWH-551PM, 43'long, 96' wide, 78' sides....aluminium everything. Wilson does have an option of getting aluminum I-beam subframe in the back and it is very robust and probably tougher than C-channel that is commonly seen. Also I speced the high volume hopper for lightweight commodities and is 40 pounds lighter than standard hoppers. Also got the electric doors. My wagon comes in around 8,500 pounds. I hope it helps. Good luck and be safe.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 03:14 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Most of the time we are not even near full, unless we are hauling lighter products like rice hulls, or sunflowers. Beings rice hulls don't pay that well, we don't worry about it. If you fill it up with corn, beans, wheat etc. then you will be way over gross (90,000 - 98,000). We got this size mainly to haul sunflowers, when they are running. The rest of the time it rarely gets filled to the brim. Overall it has been a good trailer as far as being versitile. It really depends on what your specific needs are, if you are hauling lighter product then you need a larger capacity trailer to make money with that product. If you are hauling heavy products the need for a larger capacity trailer if diminished. Figure out what you are going to haul then purchase the trailer for that need. By the way our VNL 670 can haul 1.5 T more than our VNL 780, you should be able to haul more than us with that VNL 630.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 03:14 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Most of the time we are not even near full, unless we are hauling lighter products like rice hulls, or sunflowers. Beings rice hulls don't pay that well, we don't worry about it. If you fill it up with corn, beans, wheat etc. then you will be way over gross (90,000 - 98,000). We got this size mainly to haul sunflowers, when they are running. The rest of the time it rarely gets filled to the brim. Overall it has been a good trailer as far as being versitile. It really depends on what your specific needs are, if you are hauling lighter product then you need a larger capacity trailer to make money with that product. If you are hauling heavy products the need for a larger capacity trailer if diminished. Figure out what you are going to haul then purchase the trailer for that need.

By the way our VNL 670 can haul 1.5 T more than our VNL 780, you should be able to haul more than us with that VNL 630.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 03:30 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Great topic to talk about....I bought a 2013 Wilson DWH-551PM, 43'long, 96' wide, 78' sides....aluminium everything. Wilson does have an option of getting aluminum I-beam subframe in the back and it is very robust and probably tougher than C-channel that is commonly seen. Also I speced the high volume hopper for lightweight commodities and is 40 pounds lighter than standard hoppers. Also got the electric doors. My wagon comes in around 8,500 pounds. I hope it helps. Good luck and be safe." Good info Charles, what made you choose the Wilson over Timpte. Also, what is the difference between the pacesetter and the commander? I couldn't find a comparison on Wilson's website. Your trailer is nice and light for a 43'. Thanks for your helpful comments.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 03:30 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "Great topic to talk about....I bought a 2013 Wilson DWH-551PM, 43'long, 96' wide, 78' sides....aluminium everything. Wilson does have an option of getting aluminum I-beam subframe in the back and it is very robust and probably tougher than C-channel that is commonly seen. Also I speced the high volume hopper for lightweight commodities and is 40 pounds lighter than standard hoppers. Also got the electric doors. My wagon comes in around 8,500 pounds. I hope it helps. Good luck and be safe."

Good info Charles, what made you choose the Wilson over Timpte. Also, what is the difference between the pacesetter and the commander? I couldn't find a comparison on Wilson's website. Your trailer is nice and light for a 43'. Thanks for your helpful comments.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 03:46 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Most of the time we are not even near full, unless we are hauling lighter products like rice hulls, or sunflowers. Beings rice hulls don't pay that well, we don't worry about it. If you fill it up with corn, beans, wheat etc. then you will be way over gross (90,000 - 98,000). We got this size mainly to haul sunflowers, when they are running. The rest of the time it rarely gets filled to the brim. Overall it has been a good trailer as far as being versitile. It really depends on what your specific needs are, if you are hauling lighter product then you need a larger capacity trailer to make money with that product. If you are hauling heavy products the need for a larger capacity trailer if diminished. Figure out what you are going to haul then purchase the trailer for that need. By the way our VNL 670 can haul 1.5 T more than our VNL 780, you should be able to haul more than us with that VNL 630." From the comments I'm really beginning to think 78" sided are the way to go. Iv always seemed to work spot market freight, whatever's hot and paying well I tend to try and be there, this is how Iv worked flatbed and end dump work over the years. Hopper is going to be new to me but sand is what I'm looking at as base work, from there I will try to work whatever comes along that pays well. With that said its hard to say what I would be hauling, therefore it's hard to pinpoint exactly what size trailer I need. Your description is very helpful and you seem to have a good grasp on what pays and what doesn't. My 630 is not a typical 630, it took a year to build on paper before the factory started assembly, I built it for the lowbed so it has a 46k rear end with double locking axles, 16,400 front end and a little bit heavier frame than usual. That along with 75 gal of hydraulic oil, 200 gal of diesel, every option and my fat ass in the seat makes it heavy. I managed to pack everything into a 216" wheelbase which is awesome in tight spots.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 03:46 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "Most of the time we are not even near full, unless we are hauling lighter products like rice hulls, or sunflowers. Beings rice hulls don't pay that well, we don't worry about it. If you fill it up with corn, beans, wheat etc. then you will be way over gross (90,000 - 98,000). We got this size mainly to haul sunflowers, when they are running. The rest of the time it rarely gets filled to the brim. Overall it has been a good trailer as far as being versitile. It really depends on what your specific needs are, if you are hauling lighter product then you need a larger capacity trailer to make money with that product. If you are hauling heavy products the need for a larger capacity trailer if diminished. Figure out what you are going to haul then purchase the trailer for that need. By the way our VNL 670 can haul 1.5 T more than our VNL 780, you should be able to haul more than us with that VNL 630."

From the comments I'm really beginning to think 78" sided are the way to go. Iv always seemed to work spot market freight, whatever's hot and paying well I tend to try and be there, this is how Iv worked flatbed and end dump work over the years. Hopper is going to be new to me but sand is what I'm looking at as base work, from there I will try to work whatever comes along that pays well. With that said its hard to say what I would be hauling, therefore it's hard to pinpoint exactly what size trailer I need. Your description is very helpful and you seem to have a good grasp on what pays and what doesn't. My 630 is not a typical 630, it took a year to build on paper before the factory started assembly, I built it for the lowbed so it has a 46k rear end with double locking axles, 16,400 front end and a little bit heavier frame than usual. That along with 75 gal of hydraulic oil, 200 gal of diesel, every option and my fat ass in the seat makes it heavy. I managed to pack everything into a 216" wheelbase which is awesome in tight spots.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 04:33 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "From the comments I'm really beginning to think 78" sided are the way to go. Iv always seemed to work spot market freight, whatever's hot and paying well I tend to try and be there, this is how Iv worked flatbed and end dump work over the years. Hopper is going to be new to me but sand is what I'm looking at as base work, from there I will try to work whatever comes along that pays well. With that said its hard to say what I would be hauling, therefore it's hard to pinpoint exactly what size trailer I need. Your description is very helpful and you seem to have a good grasp on what pays and what doesn't. My 630 is not a typical 630, it took a year to build on paper before the factory started assembly, I built it for the lowbed so it has a 46k rear end with double locking axles, 16,400 front end and a little bit heavier frame than usual. That along with 75 gal of hydraulic oil, 200 gal of diesel, every option and my fat ass in the seat makes it heavy. I managed to pack everything into a 216" wheelbase which is awesome in tight spots." You may want to look at an end dump beings you are already set up for it. You could haul the stickier better paying products. The reason we choose the Timpte over the Wilson was because of the rivets in the hopper tubs. The Timpte does not have rivets in the corners for product to stick to. We ran the Timpte, Wilson, and Cornhusker models before we spec'ed out our trailer. They each have their pros and cons, it came down to which one performed best for what we were going to do with it. The weight, and price as well as the durability and resale of the unit. Timpte, Wilson, and Cornhusker seem to be the best in those catagories. If you were going to go end dump then I recommend MAC for that. You would enjoy the end dump more then the hopper with your tractor setup.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 04:33 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "From the comments I'm really beginning to think 78" sided are the way to go. Iv always seemed to work spot market freight, whatever's hot and paying well I tend to try and be there, this is how Iv worked flatbed and end dump work over the years. Hopper is going to be new to me but sand is what I'm looking at as base work, from there I will try to work whatever comes along that pays well. With that said its hard to say what I would be hauling, therefore it's hard to pinpoint exactly what size trailer I need. Your description is very helpful and you seem to have a good grasp on what pays and what doesn't. My 630 is not a typical 630, it took a year to build on paper before the factory started assembly, I built it for the lowbed so it has a 46k rear end with double locking axles, 16,400 front end and a little bit heavier frame than usual. That along with 75 gal of hydraulic oil, 200 gal of diesel, every option and my fat ass in the seat makes it heavy. I managed to pack everything into a 216" wheelbase which is awesome in tight spots."

You may want to look at an end dump beings you are already set up for it. You could haul the stickier better paying products. The reason we choose the Timpte over the Wilson was because of the rivets in the hopper tubs. The Timpte does not have rivets in the corners for product to stick to. We ran the Timpte, Wilson, and Cornhusker models before we spec'ed out our trailer. They each have their pros and cons, it came down to which one performed best for what we were going to do with it. The weight, and price as well as the durability and resale of the unit. Timpte, Wilson, and Cornhusker seem to be the best in those catagories. If you were going to go end dump then I recommend MAC for that.

You would enjoy the end dump more then the hopper with your tractor setup.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 05:32 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "Thank you everybody for the helpful replies. I talked to the Timpte dealer and he confirmed what you all were saying, a 42'L x 96"W x 72"H is lighter and has more capacity than a 40'L x 102"W x 72"H. I would have thought the complete opposite but I guess I ain't no rocket scientist! Lol. Is Timpte a better trailer than Willson? I'm considering one of these two but not sure which is the best or lightest, not as worried about price as I am durability and being as lightweight as possible. My tractor weighs 22,500lbs which means I'll be struggling to get 49,000lbs payload. Understandably there's going to be brand loyalty as with anything but I appreciate all you seasoned hopper guys opinions on your experience and what has or hasn't worked well for you. Thanks. " You may want to look at a 43' length over the 42' length on a Timpte. My sales guy told me that each hopper door is 6" longer on the 43' trailer. I haven't purchased one in a while, but my next trailer will most likely be a 43 x 102 x84. We can get 25 ton of cottonseed and wheat midds on our 42 x 102 x 84" high sided trailers now. But a 6" bigger opening would be really nice for DDGS after a long ride overnight. We went with Timpte over any other brand of trailer due to closeness of the dealer and quality of service.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 05:32 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "Thank you everybody for the helpful replies. I talked to the Timpte dealer and he confirmed what you all were saying, a 42'L x 96"W x 72"H is lighter and has more capacity than a 40'L x 102"W x 72"H. I would have thought the complete opposite but I guess I ain't no rocket scientist! Lol. Is Timpte a better trailer than Willson? I'm considering one of these two but not sure which is the best or lightest, not as worried about price as I am durability and being as lightweight as possible. My tractor weighs 22,500lbs which means I'll be struggling to get 49,000lbs payload. Understandably there's going to be brand loyalty as with anything but I appreciate all you seasoned hopper guys opinions on your experience and what has or hasn't worked well for you. Thanks. "

You may want to look at a 43' length over the 42' length on a Timpte. My sales guy told me that each hopper door is 6" longer on the 43' trailer. I haven't purchased one in a while, but my next trailer will most likely be a 43 x 102 x84. We can get 25 ton of cottonseed and wheat midds on our 42 x 102 x 84" high sided trailers now. But a 6" bigger opening would be really nice for DDGS after a long ride overnight. We went with Timpte over any other brand of trailer due to closeness of the dealer and quality of service.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 05:40 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "You may want to look at an end dump beings you are already set up for it. You could haul the stickier better paying products. The reason we choose the Timpte over the Wilson was because of the rivets in the hopper tubs. The Timpte does not have rivets in the corners for product to stick to. We ran the Timpte, Wilson, and Cornhusker models before we spec'ed out our trailer. They each have their pros and cons, it came down to which one performed best for what we were going to do with it. The weight, and price as well as the durability and resale of the unit. Timpte, Wilson, and Cornhusker seem to be the best in those catagories. If you were going to go end dump then I recommend MAC for that. You would enjoy the end dump more then the hopper with your tractor setup." The MAC is really nice. Had thought about a round bottom MAC as I could run it on our local work too but the frac work we were looking at was for hoppers only. I would buy the MAC if I could dump the frac sand through a grain sock in the tailgate but that seemed to be a no go. Hence where I'm at looking at hopper bottoms. Is there a decent difference in rates hauling commodities between the two? Thanks again for your input Alfred.

Replied on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 05:40 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "You may want to look at an end dump beings you are already set up for it. You could haul the stickier better paying products. The reason we choose the Timpte over the Wilson was because of the rivets in the hopper tubs. The Timpte does not have rivets in the corners for product to stick to. We ran the Timpte, Wilson, and Cornhusker models before we spec'ed out our trailer. They each have their pros and cons, it came down to which one performed best for what we were going to do with it. The weight, and price as well as the durability and resale of the unit. Timpte, Wilson, and Cornhusker seem to be the best in those catagories. If you were going to go end dump then I recommend MAC for that. You would enjoy the end dump more then the hopper with your tractor setup."

The MAC is really nice. Had thought about a round bottom MAC as I could run it on our local work too but the frac work we were looking at was for hoppers only. I would buy the MAC if I could dump the frac sand through a grain sock in the tailgate but that seemed to be a no go. Hence where I'm at looking at hopper bottoms. Is there a decent difference in rates hauling commodities between the two? Thanks again for your input Alfred.

Replied on Sun, Oct 19, 2014 at 08:41 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. The answer is it all depends on what you plan on hauling. For me, I mainly haul grain, rock, fertilizer and dense commodities like soybean meal. 78"x102" would be a waste of trailer in my application because I dont hail the light fluffy stuff like midds and soy hulls. The taller trailer would just be a wind catcher behind my midroof kenworth. Plus, I can haul ddg and hominy just fine in my 96"x72" Timpte. Years ago I used to haul mainly midds and hominy so the tall wide trailers were a necessity, but I'm staying mainly local now and dont need all that extra capacity.

Replied on Sun, Oct 19, 2014 at 08:41 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

The answer is it all depends on what you plan on hauling. For me, I mainly haul grain, rock, fertilizer and dense commodities like soybean meal. 78"x102" would be a waste of trailer in my application because I dont hail the light fluffy stuff like midds and soy hulls. The taller trailer would just be a wind catcher behind my midroof kenworth. Plus, I can haul ddg and hominy just fine in my 96"x72" Timpte. Years ago I used to haul mainly midds and hominy so the tall wide trailers were a necessity, but I'm staying mainly local now and dont need all that extra capacity.

Replied on Tue, Oct 21, 2014 at 05:11 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I have a tri axle Pete 379 and a tri axle 102x46.5 long 78 sides weigh 32300 haul 105000 In ND

Replied on Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 08:53 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I Just bought a 2015 Timpte 96 wide and they have started putting the 102 size traps on the 96 inch trailers. so if you hauling sticky product i would either run a 96 inch trailer with the wider traps or else run a 102 inch wide trailer and just put a vibrator in your trailer.