Moving machinery between sites is the daily job in plant hire and earthmoving – a mini excavator to one address, a compactor or skid steer to another, sometimes more than once a day. Waiting on a low-loader or a second operator to load a machine costs time that isn’t billable. Every trailer on this page stays under 3,500kg ATM, so a standard car licence and the ute already on the fleet covers machinery transport without an HR licence or a dedicated tow vehicle.
Why Lightweight Wins in Plant Hire
More payload inside the same limit
A lighter tare means more of the ATM is available for the machine itself. On the Plant Trailer 2715 M2, tare is 560 kg against a 2,700 kg ATM – 2,140 kg of legal payload for machinery. See current plant trailer specs.
Tow it with the ute you already own
Every trailer in this range sits under 3,500kg ATM – no truck, no HR licence, no second vehicle or driver rostered on just to move a machine.
Load and unload without help
A beavertail deck lets a mini excavator or skid steer drive straight on and off under its own power, and a tilting deck brings the tray to ground level for the same reason – no ramps to wrestle into place and no second operator standing by.
Hot-dip galvanised, built for constant loading
Plant trailers get loaded and unloaded daily, often on uneven or wet ground. A hot-dip galvanised chassis and reinforced deck hold up to that cycle far better than paint-finished steel, which is what actually determines frame condition five years in.
What Are You Moving?
Mini Excavators and Skid Steers
A low-loading deck gets a mini excavator or skid steer on and off under its own power, no ramps to wrestle into place.
Compactors, Mowers, Small Plant
A purpose-built machine trailer covers compact plant – compactors, stump grinders, small loaders – for a full day of jobs on one trailer.
Drive-On Loading
A beavertail deck lets machinery drive straight on and off under its own power – no second operator standing by with a low-loader.
Tilt-Deck Loading
A tilting deck brings the tray to ground level, useful for non-running machinery or equipment too low to ramp-load safely.
Machinery That Also Tips
Carry a compactor or mini digger to site, then tip spoil on the same trailer – no separate tipper booking on an earthmoving job.
Heavier Machinery and Larger Loads
A maxi-load trailer takes the weight a standard plant trailer isn’t rated for – a bigger mini excavator, dual attachments, or a machine plus its own gear in one trip.
How Plant Hire and Earthmoving Operators Use Them
The Mini-Excavator Hire Operator
Delivering and collecting a mini excavator across several customer sites in a day means loading and unloading repeatedly, often without a second person on hand at the drop-off point. A beavertail plant trailer removes that dependency – the excavator drives straight on and off under its own power, so a solo driver can run the whole round. Staying under 3,500kg ATM keeps the trailer towable on a standard car licence, so any driver on the roster can run the delivery without an HR endorsement. See beavertail plant trailers.
The Compact Earthworks Contractor
Small earthworks jobs – drainage, footings, small cut-and-fill – need a compactor and a mini digger on site together, with spoil coming off as the cut progresses. A machine tipper trailer carries the compactor in, then tips accumulated spoil on the way out, so one trailer covers both ends of the job instead of running two units. For customer sites with tight or unformed access, a car-towable trailer under 3,500kg gets in where a truck-mounted low-loader can’t. See machine tipper trailers.
The Multi-Machine Hire Fleet
Running several small plant items – a compactor, a mower, a small loader – out to different jobs on the same day means matching each machine to a trailer that loads it without fuss. A tilt-deck trailer suits equipment that’s low-clearance or non-running, brought level with the ground rather than ramped up. A standard plant trailer covers the rest, and because every unit in the fleet sits under 3,500kg ATM, any driver can take any trailer out without a licence check first. See universal tilt trailers.
Load and Legality
ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) is the maximum legal weight of the trailer plus its load. Tare is the trailer’s own empty weight. Payload is what’s left over – ATM minus tare – and it’s the number that actually limits how much you can carry on a given trip. Every trailer on this page stays at or under 3,500kg ATM, which keeps it towable on a standard car licence, but ball weight, tie-down duty and your tow vehicle’s own towing capacity still need checking against the actual load. Work out payload and ball weight for a specific trailer and tow vehicle combination with the trailer load calculator, or read the trailer buying & compliance guide for ATM, GTM and braking rules in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
What trailer loads a mini excavator without a second person?
A beavertail plant trailer – the low deck angle lets the machine drive straight on and off under its own power. See beavertail plant trailers.
What’s the difference between a beavertail and a tilt-deck trailer?
A beavertail has a fixed ramp angle built into the rear of the deck. A tilt-deck trailer tilts the whole tray to ground level, which suits non-running or very low-clearance equipment better.
Do I need an HR licence to tow a plant trailer?
No, provided the trailer’s ATM is 3,500kg or under, which covers every trailer on this page – a standard car driving licence is enough.
Can one trailer carry a machine and then tip spoil?
Yes – a machine tipper trailer is built for exactly that: carry plant to site on the deck, then tip spoil or waste on the way out. See machine tipper trailers.
How much can a lightweight plant trailer carry under 3,500kg?
It depends on the specific model’s tare weight. As an example, the Plant Trailer 2715 M2 has a 2,700kg ATM, 560kg tare and 2,140kg payload. Check the exact figures for any model on its own product page before loading.
Is a ramp needed to load a skid steer onto these trailers?
Not on a beavertail or tilt-deck model – both bring the loading surface down to ground level so the machine drives straight on.
Get a Quote
Talk to A2B Trailers about which of these trailers suits your business, or enquire about finance on a new trailer.
Finance options: view finance · Phone: (02) 4367 0026
