Pickup, loading and return checklist

At pickup, together

1. Photos. Four corners, the deck, the hitch connected. Thirty seconds, protects both of us.
2. Tires. Pressure looks even, tread fine, no cracking. Spare located if equipped.
3. Lights. Plug in, then running lights, both turn signals, brakes. If one is out we fix it before you leave.
4. Coupler. Latched on the ball, pin in, safety chains crossed under the tongue, breakaway cable clipped.
5. Brakes. Controller connected and set. Light pedal at 5 mph in the lot to feel them.
6. Gate and straps. Gate latches both sides. Five ratchet straps counted.

Loading

• Heavy items first, forward of the axles. About 60 percent of the weight ahead of the axle center.
• Keep weight centered left to right. One heavy item on one side pulls the trailer.
• Strap every layer. Re-check straps after the first few miles; loads settle.
• Tarp or net anything that can blow. Arkansas requires a secured load.
• Payload is approximately 5,000 lbs of cargo. Ask the supplier for the weight of pallets, gravel and stone.

On the road

• Slower than you think, especially in wind and on I-430 and I-30 merges. Leave double the following distance.
• Wide turns. The trailer cuts inside your path.
• Backing: hand at the bottom of the wheel, move it the way you want the trailer to go. Practice once in a lot.
• Pull over and re-check straps and the coupler after the first 10 minutes.

At return

1. Deck swept, straps back in the box.
2. Walk-around together, same photos.
3. Deposit refunded.
4. Running late? Text before your return time. A one-trailer business can usually flex; silence is the only thing that causes a problem.