Trailer Tool Box: Things to Consider before Buying Trailer Tool Box

If you are a new flatbed trucker in the process of getting your rig together so you can start searching for loads. You’ve heard other truckers tell you to purchase several tool boxes to carry all your cargo control supplies. That is good advice. You will probably need at least two trailer tool box, if not more. You’re going to need the space to store all your tarps along with your winches, straps, chains, etc.

It might take some time for you to figure out a tool box configuration that works for you. To help you make wise purchase decisions, we have put together a list of things to think about as you are shopping. Don’t hesitate to ask other truckers for their advice as well. You can learn a lot from veteran flatbed truck drivers.

Aluminum trailer tool box

A utility trailer tool box is one of those resources that are easy to overlook. After all, you probably already have a small toolbox you keep in your cab; why get one for your trailer?

But, once you have a trailer toolbox, it becomes an invaluable asset in your day-to-day life on the road. It can even enable you to get rid of your less-than-spacious cab toolbox altogether, giving you more space, while letting you keep all the supplies you need on hand. Even the ones you think you only might need, you’ll have them just in case.

In case any of this is ambiguous, a trailer toolbox is a storage unit that’s attached under your flatbed trailer or mounted somewhere on top of it.

Things to Consider Before Buying Trailer Tool Box

When you attach utility trailer storage box under your flatbed, on the tongue of your trailer, or mounted elsewhere on your truck, you’re creating more space while keeping the supplies you need secure. These trailer toolboxes and storage units are also easy to access on the fly, without requiring you to unload or climb over your haul to get to them.

Position of Trailer Tool Box

The first thing to consider is where you plan to position your truck trailer tool boxes.

A trailer toolbox can be mounted in four different positions.

  • On the tongue of a trailer
  • Underneath the trailer
  • On top of the trailer between multi-level platforms (step-boxes only)
  • On the side of a gooseneck trailer

The under-the-trailer position takes up less space on the truckbed; the trailer-tongue position allows a low-rise trailer to do its thing, and gives the driver relatively easy access to the storage box.

Why is this important?

Because tool boxes have doors that can get in your way if you don’t place them correctly. For example, consider a tool box that you plan to mount underneath the trailer bed for tarp storage. You have to look at how the door of that box will operate.

Double door Toolbox

Some tool boxes offer doors that open from the top down, protruding outward in the open position. This kind of arrangement might be suitable for a box mounted near the front of your trailer where you are not likely to need a lot of access. But the door could get in the way if that same box is mounted toward the rear of the trailer. A better option might be a tool box with a door that opens from the front and hangs below the box.

Only you know which position will work best for your jobs. Once you do, find the storage box and mounting gear that’s right for you.

Size and Space Requirements

What you’re hauling most of the time and how much space do you actually have on your trailer?

If the answer is “not much,” that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to settle for a smaller toolbox. Depending on where a particular trailer toolbox is mounted, you can have a big box without taking up much extra space. However, for some people, smaller is better. Smaller toolboxes weigh less, and if a driver prefers to travel light, they’ll only need enough toolbox space for the necessities anyway.

You will require larger boxes to store truck tarps while smaller boxes are suitable for straps, winches, and hand tools. The reality is you might not know what your space requirements are until you have been on the road for a while. So we recommend at least one large box to handle your tarps along with another small box for straps and winches should be fine. You can add additional space in the future if you need to.

Construction Materials

Since a trailer toolbox is exposed to the elements, it’s wise to invest in a durable product–something unlikely to need a replacement anytime soon due to damage, rust, scratches, or dents. A truly durable trailer toolbox can take a hit, even if it comes into contact with solid chunks of debris or ice on the highway. Most flatbed tool boxes these days are made with high-grade aluminum (with steel doors). This sort of configuration gives adequate strength without adding unnecessary weight. Having said that, you can buy some pretty hefty tool boxes are rather heavy. Stainless steel and aluminum are both strong, durable materials.

Sizes and dimensions of Trailer toolbox

Some toolboxes have powder coating or plating to prevent scratches. Polyethylene plastic trailer toolboxes exist and they are lighter-weight than stainless steel and aluminum boxes. However, they aren’t as strong or durable. It’s a trade-off every driver has to consider for themselves. Just remember that every pound added to your rig has an effect on fuel mileage. The idea is to use as few tool boxes as necessary and to purchase boxes that are as lightweight as possible without compromising strength.

Brand Reputation

If you’ve been in the trucking game for a while, you may already have brands whose products you know and trust. Do they make trailer toolboxes? If you’re not sure which brands are best, ask around. Or, go with what’s cost-effective. At Mytee, all of our products–including our storage boxes–meet our high quality standards.

Trailer Tool Box

As with anything else, the reputation of a given brand says a lot about what you’re paying for. Brand-name products tend to be more reliable than their generic counterparts, hence the fact that they cost more. A higher price tag is certainly warranted when it comes to flatbed tool boxes.

In our store, we offer a range of brands to choose from, and because we’ve been able to cut out the middleman, we can pass our savings on to you. This means every single storage trailer tool box brand in our store is affordably priced while maintaining the quality you expect. 

Design of Trailer Tool Box

Different storage boxes will have different appealing design elements. For instance, a double-door design will let you store and remove wide objects without having to manuver them through a smaller opening in the process.

Two door trailer tool box

Some step-boxes have a wide door design that encourages top-loading, which can be a better loading system for chains and other goods that can be lowered carefully more readily than they can be mounted on a back wall.

Step-boxes themselves are a neat design, as they pull double-duty. A step-box toolbox, when mounted on the side or front of a trailer, empowers the driver to easily climb onto the trailer, move from one platform to the next, and dismount. With a step-box toolbox, you get the space you already save with any trailer toolbox, plus the convenience of not having to purchase separate steps or ladders.

Other design features might include rubber-sealed doors, for maximum weather resistance, and solid, welded seams for maximum protection of the stored tools and goods.

Other equipment requirements

The main other pieces of equipment you’ll need for your trailer tool box is mounting bracket.

Mounting Bracket

Mounting brackets are the means by which you can secure your trailer toolbox. Make sure, which choosing brackets, which you get ones compatible with your trailer, the position you want, and the trailer toolbox itself. Should you purchase from Mytee Products – and we hope you will – we have mounting brackets suitable for all the tool boxes we sell.

Tool boxes serve as critical storage space for flatbed truckers. As a new trucker, you are going to find that your tool box needs change over time. Rest assured, Mytee has everything you need for effective cargo control. By storing everything you need right where you can reach it, trailer toolboxes can make cargo hauling that much easier. We all hope, when you get one that works for you, that it will empower you to haul safe and earn more.Save