Hopper bottom trailers, also commonly known as grain hopper trailers, are trailers that are used in the United States to transport large volumes of agricultural or commodity products. The design of these trailers are simple, which is why they have been used in the agricultural industry for decades. They employ hoppers at the bottom of the trailer, as the name implies, which can move the product to be poured from a spigot. This simplifies hopper bottom jobs and streamlines the process of delivery. While they are most commonly used for hauling grain, they can be used to transport a variety of products.
Pebbles or Rocks
A hopper bottom trailer can be used to transport pebbles and rocks since the trailers commonly include a retractable cover which secures the pebbles and rocks in the trailer to avoid any falling out during transport. It is especially useful for jobs where the pebbles or rocks don’t need to be dropped in one pile.
Soil, Dirt and Sand
Soil, dirt and sand can easily be delivered using a hopper bottom trailer because of the bottom spigot design which can be used to spread the product to the needed areas upon delivery. This is useful for leveling, filling holes, grading, and planting.
Fertilizer
Similarly, these trailers can be used to move fertilizer from point A to point B. The hoppers allow the fertilizer to be spread evenly and can be measured if it is being used to apply the fertilizer to an area. Otherwise, it can be moved into a container or grate.
Grain
Most commonly, hopper bottom trailers are used for hauling grain. Grain will be moved from one transportation vehicle to another and then to another throughout it’s journey to it’s end location, with hopper trailers commonly being the second to last, typically loading into grain augers to be finally loaded to a silo.
