5 ms·

Plus however long it takes to drive to u-haul, wait for them to check-out the trailer, hook it up, use it, then drive back to u-haul, return it, etc. Time is m

Plus however long it takes to drive to u-haul, wait for them to check-out the trailer, hook it up, use it, then drive back to u-haul, return it, etc. Time is money.

Scoundreller 8y ago
Trailers should lend themselves well to the sharing economy, no? Minimal maintenance, largely stored sitting idle, no cleaning required. You don't even need to unethically deem your workers as contractors.
- tlb 8y ago
  Untrained people pulling poorly maintained trailers with under-sized vehicles and without the brake lights hooked up properly because there are several connector standards will cause a lot of wrecks.
  - Scoundreller 8y ago
    Isn’t that what U-Haul does? Possibly behind a 28’ truck driven by a driver that’s never driven anything more than a Civic?
- darkpuma 8y ago
  Trailers are a huge pain in the ass, have you ever backed up with one? I've done my fair share of trailer towing and given the choice between a trailer and a pickup, I chose the pickup every time. Trailers have a capacity advantage though. Sometimes the shit you're moving simply won't fit in a large pickup truck. In those cases though, having a truck with sufficient power to tow that trailer is still handy...
  - jessaustin 8y ago
    This is an advantage of driving tractors as a child. Backing up a trailer is second nature for me. I can back around corners, between obstacles, whatever needs to be done, often without taking a hitch. One time I was driving a U-haul pulling a car on a dolly, so there wasn't one but two pivot points. I stupidly pulled into a gas station that didn't have a way to pull through, but I was still able to back out of it rather than suffering the ignominy of unloading the car. My grandfather scoffed when he heard about it; apparently county fairs used to have contests in backing up "four-wheeled wagons" which had similar configurations. The only thing you need is practice. The next time you use a trailer, take it to a big WalMart parking lot during a slow time and play around with it a little bit. You'll get a feel for where the "fulcrum" is, and start using your mirrors to steer. This isn't an impossible task. All the semi truck drivers you see on the road have to get really good at this in order to pass their CDL, and lots of them never backed up a trailer before they took the course.
    - darkpuma 8y ago
      Every year when I was a kid I got the 'privilege' of driving around a leaf vacuum (https://woodgears.ca/misc/with_trailer.jpg https://woodgears.ca/misc/with_trailer.jpg) Unloading it always meant backing it up down a path in the woods to the leaf pile. I can back up a regular two-wheel trailer without jack-knifing it, but even with experience it still takes my full concentration. I'm sure it becomes like riding a bike eventually, but it's annoying enough that I don't really care to attempt it frequently. My main point though is mass market trailer rental to the general public will probably never be very popular. Most people have never attempted to back up a trailer before and at least the first few times they attempt it the chance they'll jackknife it is pretty high.
      - JoeAltmaier 8y ago
        You think that's hard! Try backing up a grain wagon with an articulated hitch! That means the front wheels steer with the direction of the hitch (long rod from the front of the wagon to the tractor's drawbar). Going forward its great - the wagon follows around curves instead of being dragged around, which is important with tons of grain in the wagon. But backing up! Its like pushing a rope. And I had to get the rear of the wagon within 1ft of the target - an old tire with a grain auger's business end in it, so I could unload.
  - rypskar 8y ago
    >have you ever backed up with one Yes, every time I park it. It is much easier to learn how to back with a trailer than to learn how to drive
  - benj111 8y ago
    Roof racks then? Sheet materials and long materials up there no problem, everything else in the boot.
- fuzzybeard 8y ago
  One would think so, yes. But in practice people can be utter assholes when borrowing a neighbor's power tool. Now imagine with a trailer.
- awful 8y ago
  Yes; people on lakes already share pontoon trailers. And yes they can be difficult at first to back up, but like everything a little bit of practice and you have a new life skill.
- jessaustin 8y ago
  A trailer to haul building materials from the home store could be really cheap. Consider one of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lbs-capacity-48-in-x-96-in-heavy-duty-folding-trailer-62648.html https://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lbs-capacity-48-in-x-96-i... At $350, not having to share a utility trailer with careless drivers seems quite attainable.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

Plus however long it takes to drive to u-haul, wait for them to check-out the trailer, hook it up, use it, then drive back to u-haul, return it, etc. Time is money.

Scoundreller 8y ago

Trailers should lend themselves well to the sharing economy, no? Minimal maintenance, largely stored sitting idle, no cleaning required. You don't even need to unethically deem your workers as contractors.

tlb 8y ago
Untrained people pulling poorly maintained trailers with under-sized vehicles and without the brake lights hooked up properly because there are several connector standards will cause a lot of wrecks.
- Scoundreller 8y ago
  Isn’t that what U-Haul does? Possibly behind a 28’ truck driven by a driver that’s never driven anything more than a Civic?
darkpuma 8y ago
Trailers are a huge pain in the ass, have you ever backed up with one? I've done my fair share of trailer towing and given the choice between a trailer and a pickup, I chose the pickup every time. Trailers have a capacity advantage though. Sometimes the shit you're moving simply won't fit in a large pickup truck. In those cases though, having a truck with sufficient power to tow that trailer is still handy...
- jessaustin 8y ago
  This is an advantage of driving tractors as a child. Backing up a trailer is second nature for me. I can back around corners, between obstacles, whatever needs to be done, often without taking a hitch. One time I was driving a U-haul pulling a car on a dolly, so there wasn't one but two pivot points. I stupidly pulled into a gas station that didn't have a way to pull through, but I was still able to back out of it rather than suffering the ignominy of unloading the car. My grandfather scoffed when he heard about it; apparently county fairs used to have contests in backing up "four-wheeled wagons" which had similar configurations. The only thing you need is practice. The next time you use a trailer, take it to a big WalMart parking lot during a slow time and play around with it a little bit. You'll get a feel for where the "fulcrum" is, and start using your mirrors to steer. This isn't an impossible task. All the semi truck drivers you see on the road have to get really good at this in order to pass their CDL, and lots of them never backed up a trailer before they took the course.
  - darkpuma 8y ago
    Every year when I was a kid I got the 'privilege' of driving around a leaf vacuum (https://woodgears.ca/misc/with_trailer.jpg https://woodgears.ca/misc/with_trailer.jpg) Unloading it always meant backing it up down a path in the woods to the leaf pile. I can back up a regular two-wheel trailer without jack-knifing it, but even with experience it still takes my full concentration. I'm sure it becomes like riding a bike eventually, but it's annoying enough that I don't really care to attempt it frequently. My main point though is mass market trailer rental to the general public will probably never be very popular. Most people have never attempted to back up a trailer before and at least the first few times they attempt it the chance they'll jackknife it is pretty high.
    - JoeAltmaier 8y ago
      You think that's hard! Try backing up a grain wagon with an articulated hitch! That means the front wheels steer with the direction of the hitch (long rod from the front of the wagon to the tractor's drawbar). Going forward its great - the wagon follows around curves instead of being dragged around, which is important with tons of grain in the wagon. But backing up! Its like pushing a rope. And I had to get the rear of the wagon within 1ft of the target - an old tire with a grain auger's business end in it, so I could unload.
- rypskar 8y ago
  >have you ever backed up with one Yes, every time I park it. It is much easier to learn how to back with a trailer than to learn how to drive
- benj111 8y ago
  Roof racks then? Sheet materials and long materials up there no problem, everything else in the boot.
fuzzybeard 8y ago
One would think so, yes. But in practice people can be utter assholes when borrowing a neighbor's power tool. Now imagine with a trailer.
awful 8y ago
Yes; people on lakes already share pontoon trailers. And yes they can be difficult at first to back up, but like everything a little bit of practice and you have a new life skill.
jessaustin 8y ago
A trailer to haul building materials from the home store could be really cheap. Consider one of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lbs-capacity-48-in-x-96-in-heavy-duty-folding-trailer-62648.html https://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lbs-capacity-48-in-x-96-i... At $350, not having to share a utility trailer with careless drivers seems quite attainable.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]