Guys and Gals,

I own a 48'x96" trailer.  I bought this trailer as a piece of equipment that I would be able to use in my own small cattle opperation and also a nice peterbilt.  Just a good `ol cow-wagon.  I recently started hauling cattle for some others and have ALWAYS stayed with the current rates (just wanted to address that before someone starts calling me a rate cuttin`, son of a- who knows what).  I know some of you old timers have forgotten more about dealing with cattle than what I know.  However, I would like to consider myself as someone who knows a little about cattle.  Once I started hauling cattle for others I have experienced what some of you have been talking about. Recently I loaded cattle for an outfit and they loaded me with 88 -650's...They were tight!! My ends were ok but my middles were to tight.  Being inexpereinced on how to deal with these people I just put it in the wind.  Had one down when I got there and she did not look good.  But, she got up and had no problem getting off the trailer.  Should I gate these cattle even if that makes them a little tighter.  I have hauled mostly big cattle, fats ect.  I gate my fat cattle just to keep them from pushing each other around.  It seems like the same would apply for feeders!?  Your experience and opinion would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

That is a tough question.  The best answer is to ruduce the number of animals but as we all know that can't/doesn't always happen.  I would tend to leave them ungated if the calves looked to be in good health with one stipulation:  As long as I was going to be traveling on roads that did not have very steep grades up or down and roads that did not have alot of red lights or the potential that I might need to hit my brakes hard.  Good luck!!!!

One thing to consider when gating cattle is that it does take up some extra room.  So that is a hard question to answer.  I would go with personal expierence and see how far that gets you.  Just a tough question to answer

88hd x 650lbs=57,200lbs on a 48'x96" trailer and only one down i would say you done good!  

My friend,

That would be pretty darn good and I would love to keep letting you think that.  However,  my original figures were not correct.  My scale ticket showed 52,550lbs.  Thats a 597 average.  Sorry for the wrong info.  I appreciate the compliment, though!!

to gate or not to gate///////////// now dont take this wrong but the way i figure it they put them gates in my trailer for a reason and i use them every load, the cattle ride better and my truck and trailer handles better when cattle cant wander all over inside, also want to add i have been very successful in the past 14 years i've been hauling livestock, i know its tough to make a living being in the trucking industry but i never let the cattle buyers tell me how many cattle will fit in my trailer cause they always try and over load a guy  thanks and good luck Jay

 I load 67,000 lbs of fat cattle and haul them 500 miles to the packer.  I do it three times a week.  I never gate 'em.

The other truck I run with gates his load, though.  He puts more on the backside of the gate than on the frontside so that it keeps weight off his truck axles and put it on the trailer axles.

With a 96' wide trailer, and more weight than you should of had, would gate the top of the trailer for sure, use your jail, and also put as many on the front and back as you can. Spread them out as much as you can. I personally don't like to gate the bottom because you can take up the space of 2 calves when you swing your gate. Instead of 4 corners you have 8 corners, besides you can check the cattle on the bottom much easier than the top. Also you are going to be heavy so it won't matter anyway where you are overweight. I also like the comment from the guy about the 67,000 pound load and putting the weight on the trailer, obviously he doesn't own the trailer.

I guess everyones different so just do what you are comfortable with. As a general rule If  the cattle are small enough to use my jail or nose deck then i gate everything. if  i am going over 500 miles then i use my gates also up to 900 lb calves. If they are bigger than that i usually don't worry abouth them unless I am going 1000 miles or farther then i gate everything no matter how big they are. just my preference seem to have pretty good luck with cattle staying up.

I pull a 53' spread, even when I have a good load, I only have 35-40 and they swim in the trailer. So i get em. I really pretty much gate everything, I don't care that it takes an extra few minutes to load. I think they ride better. Rarely do I not gate. I have been bitched at by so mayn other drivers for doing what I do, but as I told them, its my truck, my trailer, my load I'll do what I want. If you don't like it, I did not ask you to help me load.

Just my opinions.

if you have cuts then you have to use gates i dont gate any straight loads

i must have bought the wrong kind of tractor and trailer i weigh 32,000 empty ...how do u haul 52,500  and get by with it?.....weigh tickets are 18 points on the new point system ...seems like to me i would just say no to 52,500...if evrybody would do that things would be alot better!

where do you get 18 pts. the highest is 10 and the formula has not been decided as of yet. i have done my research on CSA 2010, and nowhere does it say anything on overweight tickets as of now.

I am plated for 85,500 in several western states with a spread axle trailer. With my lightweight I can be legal loading up to 52,500 legally. I charge per hundred or haul with the milage rate prorated. Why shouldnt I load 52,500 and make more money? Makes sense to me and I am getting paid to haul the weight... my choice. That is why I buy the spread axle, for that reason.

you tell the buyer or farmer what your going to haule couse we all know that load dont pay any thing near what it should for him to tell you what your going to do. If he tells you what your going to load and how and one gose down who just bought it you did.There is no right way to haule livestock we all do things diffrent its what works for you you might have to mess up a few times but you learn from that mess up.

Most of the time I gate the top and run the belly straight with about 1000-1300 extra pounds in the belly. There are alot of factors in loading though so there is no gate/ no gate all the time answer. I do know old butcher cows ride better if gated. I never gate a load of bulls as all they will do is trash your gate. Hope this little bit helps. I have been hauling cattle for about 14 years so I'm still learning.

it is 15 points on your lic when the new law starts june or july 1 of 2010 its in land line magazine

U DONT NEED TO GATE ANYTHING. I USUALLY CURTAIN EM OFF IF I CAN. BUT I TOOK MY PARTITIONS OUT SO ITS WHATEVER U WANNA DO TRUCKER. JS

 you better put a pump and dump system on your truck and trailer to hide the weight