60 Ton Lowbed Trailer — 3-Axle Heavy Haul Lowboy

Sixty tons is the most common heavy-haul rating we ship. It covers a 45-50 ton excavator with its bucket and counterweight, a mid-size wheel loader, or a rough-terrain crane — the equipment that puts a standard flatbed over its axle limits long before the deck runs out of room.

At this rating the trailer is normally a 3-axle build. Two axles will carry 60 tons on paper, but the axle loads it produces are illegal on most export routes and punish the tyres on unpaved sections. Four axles add tare weight and cost that a 60 ton job does not need. Three 13-ton axles under a Q345B box girder is the configuration that actually leaves our yard.

What 60 Tons Means on a Real Load

Rated payload is measured on level ground with the load centred over the bogie. On a haul road with grades, potholes and a load sitting forward of centre, the working margin is smaller. We size the main beam for 60 tons concentrated over the deck's middle third, which is where a tracked excavator sits once it is chained down.

If your regular load is a 50 ton excavator, a 60 ton lowbed trailer is the right unit — the 10 ton headroom absorbs the attachment, the fuel, and the uneven weight split between tracks. If you are moving 60 tons every trip, tell us: we will quote the 4-axle build instead of selling you a trailer that runs at 100% of its rating on every job.

Gooseneck Options at This Rating

Fixed gooseneck — the standard build. Lowest tare weight, lowest cost, nothing hydraulic to service. Equipment loads over rear ramps. This is what most fleets buy.

Hydraulic detachable gooseneck (RGN) — the neck disconnects and lowers the deck to the ground so equipment drives on from the front instead of climbing ramps. Worth it if you load low-clearance machines like pavers or if your operators load in yards without a ramp. Adds roughly 1,500 kg tare and a hydraulic system that needs maintenance. See the RGN trailer for that build.

Mechanical detachable neck — a middle option. Cheaper than hydraulic, slower to couple.

Specification Notes That Matter on Export Orders

Deck height. 350mm loaded on the main deck is achievable but only with small-diameter tyres, which wear faster on rough roads. Most 60 ton units leave here at 500-600mm, which clears standard bridge limits with an excavator cab on the deck and still runs 12R20 tyres you can source locally.

Axle brand. FUWA and BPW are what buyers ask for by name. We fit both. The axles are not where a cheap trailer saves money — the main beam steel grade and the weld quality on the gooseneck are.

Suspension. Mechanical bogie is standard and is what we recommend for African and Central Asian routes: it survives being overloaded and can be repaired anywhere. Air suspension rides better on paved highway work.

Ramps. Mechanical fold-down ramps are standard. Hydraulic ramps are worth it if a single driver loads without help.

Other Ratings We Build

The same frame family runs from 40 to 100 tons. Our lowbed range covers 2 to 6+ axles. Above 100 tons the job usually needs a hydraulic modular build rather than a fixed-axle lowbed — send us the load dimensions and axle weights and we will tell you which one it is, including when the answer is "you don't need the bigger trailer".