For customers
Mega or standard trailer: which one should you choose?
Mega and standard trailers have the same length and width. The difference is 30 cm of height and about 10 m³. When it matters and when it doesn’t.
In short
- A mega trailer has 3 m of internal height, against 2.7 m for a standard one, and about 100 m³ instead of 90.
- The length (13.6 m), the width and the number of Euro pallets (33) are the same.
- A mega trailer pays off for light, bulky goods. For heavy goods, it gives you nothing extra.
When you ask for a transport quote, the dispatcher may ask you: ‘standard or mega?’ You can’t tell the difference from the length or the width. It’s on the inside, in the height, and for the same goods it can mean one truck instead of two.
The difference in figures
| Standard | Mega | |
|---|---|---|
| Loading length | 13.6 m | 13.6 m |
| Internal width | 2.48 m | 2.48 m |
| Internal height | 2.7 m | 3.0 m |
| Volume | ≈ 90 m³ | ≈ 100 m³ |
| Euro pallets | 33 | 33 |
| Payload | ≈ 24 t | ≈ 24 t |
These are guide values: every trailer model has its own dimensions, give or take a few centimetres.
| — | Standard | Mega |
|---|---|---|
| Loading length | 13.6 m | 13.6 m |
| Internal width | 2.48 m | 2.48 m |
| Internal height | 2.7 m | 3.0 m |
| Volume | ≈ 90 m³ | ≈ 100 m³ |
| Euro pallets | 33 | 33 |
| Payload | ≈ 24 t | ≈ 24 t |
Guide values: exact dimensions vary from one trailer model to another.
Where the extra 30 centimetres come from
In the European Union, a truck is normally no more than 4 metres high, trailer included. A mega trailer isn’t taller than a standard one: its floor is lower.
Two things bring the floor down:
- low-profile tyres on the trailer, smaller than the usual ones;
- a tractor unit with a low fifth wheel, which means the point where the trailer couples on sits about 20 centimetres closer to the ground.
The result: the same overall height, but 30 centimetres more on the inside. That’s why a mega trailer can’t be pulled by just any tractor unit. It needs one built for it.
When a mega trailer pays off
A mega trailer suits goods that fill the truck before they reach the maximum weight:
- car parts in boxes or wire mesh containers;
- packaging, film, empty boxes;
- furniture and mattresses;
- insulation, polystyrene, mineral wool;
- household appliances and textiles.
Most often, the difference shows with pallets that can be stacked. Say each loaded pallet is 1.45 m high. In a mega trailer, two of them fit one on top of the other. In a standard trailer they don’t, so the second layer has to go on the floor too and you need more space.
When it makes no difference
If the goods are heavy, a truck reaches its maximum payload long before it’s full. Metal, drinks, building materials or paper on reels don’t need extra volume. Here, a standard trailer does exactly the same job.
The same goes for low pallets, which fit two high anyway, and for goods that can’t be stacked at all.
What to tell us so we pick the right trailer
To recommend the right trailer, we need:
- the dimensions of the pallets or packages, including the height;
- the total weight and the weight of one pallet;
- whether the pallets can be stacked;
- how they’re loaded: from the rear at a loading dock, or from the side with a forklift.
If you’re not sure, choose ‘Not sure, please advise’ in the quote request. The dispatcher will ask about anything that’s missing and tell you which truck you need.