March 18, 2024
Getting your first truck and trailer can be quite the process, especially if you are trying to make it all work on a budget. Read on to hear the craziness that was my experience putting together my rig, and at the end I'll include some tips for anyone looking into getting their first set up in the future.
When I first started hauling for my last barn, it took me SEVERAL trips before I would say I felt 'comfortable'. Even to this day, when I am pulling my own horse, in my own trailer, with my own truck, I sometimes white-knuckle it.
The first trailer trip I ever did on my own was driving a friend's two horse bumper pull with her 2500 Chevy. I only had the horse I was leasing at the time in the trailer with me, and I had practiced hauling her empty trailer several times leading up to this day. In Area 1, everything is at least an hour and a half away from us, and we were headed to New Jersey Horse Park for an event; it was about a 2.5-3 hour trip depending on traffic. I also accounted for my likely slow driving. CT to NJ is nearly a straight forward shot on 95 the whole way. This is fine once you are in New Jersey, but can be REAL painful in New York, especially because I needed to cross the infamous George Washington bridge.
I had my good friend Bella with me for emotional support, and boy did I need it. Every bump we went over, barrier we got close to, and every car that cut me off would put me in a sweat. White-knuckling isn't intense enough to describe my grip on the steering wheel. That morning I was running on an amount of adrenaline I didn't know I had. As we approached the GW, I read and reread all of the signs pointing to 'Trucks Upper Level ONLY' and followed the chaos as best as I could. I learned very quickly that other drivers don't care how big your vehicle is, or how precious your cargo is - you have to drive selfishly. I could feel the lines closing in on either side of the truck as we ventured up to the top level, and a breath I didn't know I was holding escaped as soon as those suspension bridge towers came into my sight. Whose idea was it to build a double-decker bridge, anyway?!
The rest of that ride was smooth sailing, and we came and went from the HPNJ without a hitch.
I did a few more trips with that rig, which always hauled well. I also did a couple of local trips with my trainer's larger rig, which at the time was a lovely 2+1 gooseneck attached to a dually Silverado.
Towards the end of the summer of 2022, my little Jeep Renegade, affectionately known as 'Square Car', was steadily approaching the 100k mile mark. It was in great condition otherwise, but having had an older Jeep prior to this one, I wasn't keen on keeping it forever. I figured the trade in value would be better the closer I could stay to under or around 100,000 miles.
I had originally set my sights on another small SUV, but I was so bored with the options. I talked to my parents, and my dad reminded me how much I loved driving. He also pointed out how much time I spent on the road in general, and that I should get a car that I wanted to be behind the wheel of. Eventually I convinced myself that I should get a truck, mostly so that I could borrow trailers and use it for hauling in the future. I also had so much horse related crap that having a truck bed to store it in, without making the rest of my car smell like horse, would be useful.
I was a bit pigheaded at the start of my truck search, and I was fairly set on a Ford Ranger early on. It took a lot of discussion with my trainer at the time and friend, Charlotte, and her mechanic to steer me in a better direction, which was the next size up. I learned quickly that it's one thing to have a truck that can tow a certain capacity, but when it comes to towing livestock, and needing the ability to stop on a dime safely as well as haul up and down all types of terrain efficiently, it is imperative to have a truck that can do much more than the bare minimum. I wasn't necessarily stuck on Fords, but I ended up being swayed towards a beautiful, used, black 2017 F150 Lariat with the bigger V8 engine and a 30 gallon tank. It was love at first test drive.
My monthly payments became affordable once the trade-in value of Square Car was calculated, and I drove the truck off the lot at the beginning of December in 2022. Soon after I was gifted a hitch from my good friends Heidi and Travis, and I was going into 2023 with the hopes of hauling myself and some horses everywhere.
I had started planning on trying to make money shipping for other people. Shipping to shows up north can get really pricey, and I thought that getting my own trailer would be a worthy investment. I started that search by scouring the used trailer market on Facebook, which is actually fairly good. I eventually found one that was within my budget and had a tack room separate from the stalls. I drove to central Connecticut to see it, and everything looked good. My friend Alicia came with me the day I went to pick it up to double check that everything looked like it was in good order. I was told the tires were relatively new, the wood flooring was brand new, and it had been repainted recently. I thought everything looked great.
I drove it off the lot mid-March 2023 and started organizing the tack room to make it my own. I was so excited to have my own rig! I had a bit of anxiety hauling in general, but it always made me feel extra stressed when I was hauling a rig of which not a single part belonged to me.
I got the trailer insured immediately, which required me to obtain the title and sign it over into my name. I also needed to get a separate license plate for the trailer, which became a huge to-do early on. Before I could get the trailer registered, I needed to have a VIN verification done by a certified technician. I took the trailer over to the nearest car shop and discovered that the label where the VIN should be on the trailer was completely rusted over and illegible. Even though I had the title with the VIN number on it, the mechanic needed to see the VIN label on the trailer itself to qualify for a VIN verification. I then had to get in touch with the lovely people at Cotner trailers in Pennsylvania to have them send a new VIN label over to me. Their customer service was so easy to work with, and they sent me my new VIN label within days. With the new label, I was able to get the VIN verification completed and mailed to the DMV to get it registered. I received the license plate less than 24 hours before I needed my trailer to haul horses to Pennsylvania for a show!
While the VIN debacle with the trailer was taking place, my truck decided it wasn't ready for hauling. The check engine light went off just a few days before I would be needing it for our annual Pennsylvania horse show trip. I didn't think much of it, and brought it over to the local car shop to get it checked out. The mechanic came back to me with dreadful news: my truck would be fine, but the part that was needed was backordered for MONTHS. I broke down in tears over this (more than once). The part I needed was a new 'intake manifold'. Anyone who was around me during this time unfortunately witnessed multiple of my breakdowns over this stupid freaking car part.
I was told I could drive the truck on the broken part, but I was strongly advised to not haul with it until fixed based on what service the intake manifold provided. I was desperate to have my full rig ready for Pennsylvania, and I immediately ordered what I thought was the correct part off of an off-market website. When I brought it to the mechanic they curtly informed me that the part I had purchased would work for a Mustang, but not a truck. I was told I needed to wait.
I have fortunately been unbelievably blessed with some amazing horse friends, and my dear friend Kelly has a gorgeous F250 that I was able to borrow for our Pennsylvania trip. We traded trucks for the weekend and her amazing vehicle hauled my then-fully registered trailer and some seriously precious cargo safely to and from Plantation.
About a month after that, my intake manifold was still something I was dreaming about. I once again borrowed Kelly's truck to bring myself, Sophie, my good friend Eliza, and her ride Layla to Flora Lea horse trials. I am still so incredibly grateful to Kelly for letting me borrow her truck, but I was desperate to have my full rig in working order. I had owned a truck for 5 months at that point and hadn't gotten to use it at all for what I had purchased it for.
Following Flora Lea, I brought my trailer in for service to make sure it was good to go for our upcoming move to Virginia. I had been having a few issues with losing air in one of the tires, and after the amazing barn hand, Victor, successfully found a leak in one of the valves, I figured it was safer to have the whole trailer checked out just in case. A new spare tire and two new valves later, and the trailer was given the checkmark for the next trip. Now it was just the truck that needed to be give the green light.
Time began to crunch as we inched closer and closer to July. I needed that truck part to be in and the truck to be functioning no later than August 9th. That was our day to move down to Virginia, and there was no way I was paying to have my horse professionally shipped when I had all the parts to do it myself! The impending move, plus our wedding in between, made me desperate. I made daily calls both to the dealership that had ordered my part, and to Ford's general parts line almost daily.
I had become good friends with Ford customer service over the weeks leading up to my wedding, and I had explained to probably every single person at Colonial Ford in Danbury how I was getting married at the end of July, immediately going on an international trip for two weeks to honeymoon, and then coming back and immediately moving to VA. I needed that truck to be in full working order and at my apartment by August 9th at the latest. I feel very grateful that they never blocked my number during that time.
In the days leading up to the wedding, I was beginning to lose hope. I was trying really hard to focus on the amazing and happy times that were just in front of us, but this stupid intake manifold was always on my mind.
I received a call from the parts manager at my dealership while Drew and I were literally in the car on our way to our rehearsal dinner: that stupid freaking intake manifold had finally arrived!!!! I don't know who was happier: me, or the guys at the dealership who wouldn't have to worry about my daily calls anymore.
I told them I had to get married real quick (nbd), but that I could drop the truck off that Sunday before we were headed to the airport. They wished us well and I brought the truck over right before we jetted off to Tokyo for two weeks.
I keep saying how great my friends are, and it's because it's true. While we were on our honeymoon, Ford got in touch with me to let me know that the truck was ready, but they couldn't keep it on the lot because of space. Bella came to my rescue and was able to pick the truck up and keep it at her house while I was away. I will forever be grateful to her for making that work!!
Upon our return to the states, I picked up my truck from Bella's and brought it over to our apartment to throw some things into the tack room that didn't fit in the U-Haul.
Since then, the truck and trailer have successfully taken myself and Sophie to Virginia, and to a few other outings here and there.
Having my own rig does give me a great sense of freedom. If there's somewhere I want to go with Sophie, I don't have to organize or pay for transportation outside of fuel costs. I also look forward to when I can maybe make a few extra bucks hauling for others at some point when the time allows.
If getting a truck and trailer is something you are interested in doing, I have a few tips I can share from my experience.
First, really think about why you want to do it. Do you really need your own?
I was set on putting my own together because I have been very serious about making horses a full time gig, or at least a very serious side gig, and having my own rig makes me more marketable. I also considered it an investment, because the goal is to one day make enough money shipping that I can pay off my truck loan and then some. However, the initial cost isn't cheap, especially if you want to do it right.
Second, set a reasonable budget, and start with a truck. The truck will be with you every day, especially if you are replacing a personal vehicle. I do a lot of driving, so I didn't want something so huge that I couldn't fit into a parking garage, but also something that wasn't a total gas guzzler. I test drove a bunch of trucks and discussed options with my trainers and mechanics. I knew my budget would put me at looking into used vehicles, but there were plenty of solid options on the market. There are a lot of trucks that are built to last for years and over hundreds of thousands of miles. My goal for used was to find something under 60k miles, and preferably something with leather seats because it's easier to clean. The truck I got was at 65k-ish miles, one owner, barely used for towing. F150's, particularly the year and model I got, are also known for their longevity. I plan to treat this truck like a true horsewoman's truck and drive it into the ground. With my trade-in and downpayment, I was able to get my monthly payment to a very reasonable amount. And my insurance is low due to a good driving record. Gas was going to be expensive, but I was prepared for that.
When looking at trucks for hauling, talk to your trainer or anyone in your life that hauls horses. Chances are they'll tell you to start with a V8 and only go up from there. Your V6 engines might have a towing capacity that matches your trailer and horse sizes, but safety is so important when hauling large, live, moving creatures. In New England in particular, there is all sorts of terrain that your vehicle should easily be able to tow your trailer through. This includes snow, mud, slick conditions, and up and down steep hills. You also want to be confident that your vehicle can break in an emergency and have enough power to not be pushed against by the trailer too much to cause an accident. Your horse is incredibly precious cargo, so think safety first!!!
Set another reasonable budget for a trailer. My budget wasn't massive, but I also knew exactly what I wanted. I was looking for a two horse bumper pull with a separate tack room. Two horses won't pay as much as hauling 3+ horses, but I also want to maximize the longevity of my truck with a smaller trailer to haul. I also cared about the health of the trailer floor, and the wood floor of this trailer was replaced within the last year. It looked brand new. There are also plenty of great small trailers out there without a tack room, but I have so much crap that I needed the extra storage.
A lot of used trailer owners also expect payments in cash or personal check form, so plan to have that money up front if you do plan to buy used. And don't doubt Facebook marketplace! I saw so many great used trailers in various groups that I was a part of. However, I do think that it is important to be able to go and see the trailer before you buy it, and taking someone with you that hauls regularly is never a bad idea. They might notice things that rookie haulers wouldn't.
My experience also forced me to learn to look for the VIN on the trailer before purchasing. You need a legible VIN to register the trailer, and at least in my experience in CT, I needed a VIN verification to be completed before I could register it with the state and get myself some plates. It is not the end of the world if a trailer doesn't have one that's legible, as I discovered, but it can be inconvenient. I was lucky that the trailer company that made mine was so organized and easy to work with.
Time will tell how well both of these pieces survive being with me, but I am not hauling commercially or very far that often, so the goal is that they will be with me for a long time. I am happy to chat in greater detail with anyone that might be going through a process like this to give more insight as needed - feel free to reach out. :) Happy hauling!
K
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