Talbert Manufacturing has introduced a new 55-ton extendable heavy-haul trailer, the 55SA-Tele, designed to haul large equipment.

The deck length is 54 feet when open, allowing users to haul large equipment such as bridge beams, conveyors, generators, pressure vessels and tanks, then retract the trailer to 32 feet, 6 inches. This shortens the overall trailer length to 53 feet, eliminating the need for permits.

Talbert designed the 55SA-Tele with a 90-inch swing radius that can be extended to 114 inches with the use of a gooseneck extension. This gets the most out of its deck length while keeping it within the legal 53-foot limit when retracted.

The trailer can be set up as a four-axle close coupled, 2+2 spread axle, or 3+1 spread axle configuration. The third and fourth axles can be flipped or removed, plus a 24-inch pinned and hinged gooseneck can also be flipped. This, along with its 24-inch flip-up extension, shortens the deck to 32 feet, 6 inches.

The unit features a 29-foot wood deck in the front and a 3-foot Apitong platform in the rear with beams stretching between. The trailer expands and locks in 4-foot increments.

The 55SA-Tele also is equipped with Talbert’s ENitro nitrogen-assisted dampening system. ENitro provides a safe and stable platform that nearly eliminates bridging of the spreader, which can occur if an entire load rides on the rearmost axle. The system’s nitrogen accumulator oscillates around a central self-tracking pivot point to provide proportional weight distribution in each axle grouping. It sets the axle load capacity and keeps it there as the system equalizes up and down articulation.   

The trailer also features a low deck height of 20 inches, which optimizes headspace for taller equipment. The trailer has an air ride suspension and can be equipped with optional Dura-Bright aluminum wheels, strobe lights at each axle, and a battery backup that powers the lighting package when the trailer is disconnected from the truck power.

Note: Updated 4/10/2017 to correct a mistake in length in the initial announcement from the company.