Hopper Bottom Trailers
Everything bulk haulers need to know about hopper bottom trailers: what they haul, high-side versus low-side, capacity, and where to find hopper loads on the largest bulk freight marketplace.
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What Is a Hopper Bottom Trailer?
A hopper bottom trailer, also called a grain hopper or hopper bottom, is a bulk commodity trailer with one or more cone-shaped compartments that unload through gates on the bottom. Product is loaded through hatches on top and flows out by gravity, which makes hopper bottoms fast to unload and ideal for free-flowing dry bulk. The twin-hopper configuration is the most common across the grain and feed industry.
What Hopper Bottom Trailers Haul
- Grain (corn, wheat, soybeans, milo)
- Feed ingredients and DDGs
- Fertilizer (dry, prilled, and granular)
- Seed and pelletized products
- Sand, lime, and aggregates
- Other free-flowing dry bulk commodities
High-Side vs Low-Side
Hopper bottoms come in high-side and low-side configurations. High-side hoppers have taller sidewalls and more cubic capacity for lighter, high-volume commodities like DDGs and bulk feed. Low-side hoppers carry denser products like grain and fertilizer, where the load reaches legal weight before it fills the trailer. Many carriers run high-side trailers for the flexibility to haul both.
Find Hopper Bottom Loads on BulkLoads
Search live hopper bottom loads by lane and equipment, connect directly with shippers and brokers, and book the freight that fits your operation.
Hopper Bottom Trailer FAQ
What is a hopper bottom trailer used for?
A hopper bottom trailer hauls free-flowing dry bulk commodities such as grain, feed ingredients, fertilizer, and seed. Product is loaded through hatches on top and unloads by gravity through gates on the bottom, which makes hopper bottoms fast to empty and a staple of bulk freight.
What do hopper bottom trailers haul?
Hopper bottoms carry grain (corn, wheat, soybeans, milo), feed ingredients and DDGs, dry fertilizer, seed, pelletized products, sand, lime, and aggregates. Any free-flowing dry bulk commodity that can be gravity-unloaded is a good fit.
What is the difference between high-side and low-side hopper trailers?
High-side hoppers have taller sidewalls and more cubic capacity for lighter, high-volume commodities like DDGs and bulk feed. Low-side hoppers carry denser products like grain and fertilizer, where the load reaches legal weight before it fills the trailer.
How much can a hopper bottom trailer carry?
Payload depends on the trailer and legal axle limits, but a typical hopper bottom hauls around 25 tons (roughly 50,000 pounds) of dry bulk. Lighter commodities cube out by volume, while denser commodities weigh out first.
Where can I find hopper bottom loads?
BulkLoads is the largest bulk freight marketplace in North America. You can search live hopper, high-side, and low-side loads by lane and equipment, connect directly with shippers and brokers, and book the freight that fits your operation.