Quote Originally Posted by Frank S View Post
Utility brand dry box trailers are noted for being one of the lightest constructed box trailer on the road. Without seeing an accident report I can tell you that the load inside had at least 1 heavy pallet stacked on top of another and if it had been secured at all often box drivers do not even look inside of their trailers when they are ;loaded, the load locks when used only extend from side to side and there sometimes are no vertical E tracks for strapping to.
The impact of a 2500 lb pallet falling from 3 feet high un a turn could have been enough to cause the trailer to collapse especially if the trailer was loaded heavy in the first place.
Remember these trailers have no frame only a short sub frame where the axles are All of the structural strength in them is from the thin siding and the even thinner roof the only other structure in these trailers is the extruded runner that joins the roof and the side walls
Frank
I agree with all you say and all we can do is speculate. It looked like the truck was making a smooth turn at low speed. I see no reason except like you said it was too heavy loaded in the center of the trailer or the trailer has had a hard life and minimal maintenance. Once a crack starts in the aluminium it will not take a lot to break like that. I remember on tile hauling a load of welding rods out of Ohio and the pallets were only about 3 ft. high. If they were placed in there wrongly it could have done the same thing but it was a refer so extra strong built.