Dovetail and mega ramps on a hotshot trailer

A skid steer can't climb onto a 3 ft deck by itself. Something has to bridge the gap, and on a hotshot trailer that's a dovetail, a set of ramps, or both. Which you choose decides what freight you can take, how long loading takes and how much weight your trailer carries on every run, loaded or not.

Dovetail, mega ramps and pull-out ramps

Dovetail. The deck's last few feet angle toward the ground, so a machine starts its climb from lower down. On its own it helps forklift loading over the tail and lets low-clearance freight clear the deck edge. Most machines still need ramps on top.

Mega ramps. Hinged full-width ramps that flip down off the dovetail. In transit they fold up and lie flat, so the dovetail plus ramps becomes extra deck. Spring assist lets one person lift them. They're the default on many new equipment-focused goosenecks.

Pull-out ramps. Two steel or aluminum ramps that slide out from under the deck. Lighter, out of the way in transit, and fine for wheeled freight with a fixed track width. Slower and fussier for tracked machines.

Which freight needs ramps

• Needs ramps: skid steers, compact track loaders, mini excavators, compact tractors, mowers, side-by-sides, scissor lifts and light towers on wheels.
• Doesn't: steel, pipe, lumber, pallets, crated machinery and anything loaded by forklift or crane.
• Depends: farm implements towed onto the deck, and freight where the shipper has a loading dock or a ramp of their own.

On equipment-heavy lanes, ramps decide whether you see half the posts or all of them. Look at the freight near you before you order: our hot shot loads guide lists typical weights and how each loads.

Loading angle math

The ramp angle is the tail height divided by the ramp length, turned into degrees. A dovetail lowers the tail height; a longer ramp spreads the climb.

SOURCE: Angle = arctangent(height / ramp length). Example values from TruckQuick. Your trailer's deck height and dovetail drop are on its spec sheet, or measure from the ground on level pavement.

ANGLE CHECK, EXAMPLENO. 0209

EXAMPLE

Deck height at the dovetail top

36 in

Dovetail drop

12 in

Height left for the ramps

24 in

Mega ramp length

96 in

24 / 96 = 0.25, arctan

14.0 degrees

Compare withMachine manual max slope

Check two more things. Breakover: a long-wheelbase machine can hang up where the ramp meets the dovetail or where the dovetail meets the flat deck. Ground clearance: low mowers and side-by-sides can scrape at the transition. A longer, gentler setup fixes both.

Ramp ratings and weight

Ramps carry a rating, usually per pair or per axle. A machine's weight isn't spread evenly; a skid steer with a loaded bucket or a mini excavator with the boom out puts most of its weight on one end. Check the ramp's rating against the heaviest axle or track load you'll put on it, not just the machine's total.

Ramps also add trailer weight you haul on every load. On a non-CDL rig near the 26,000 lb combined line, a set of heavy mega ramps is freight room gone. Ask the maker for the weight of the ramp option, then weigh the trailer. Our GCWR explained guide shows how trailer weight counts toward the license.

Safe loading, step by step

1. Level, firm ground. Mud, gravel slopes and wet grass make ramps slide and machines skid.
2. Truck in park, brake set, trailer wheels chocked. A rig that rolls while a machine is on the ramps is how people get hurt.
3. Ramps seated and pinned at the right spacing for the tracks or wheels.
4. Clean the tracks and the ramps. Mud and ice on steel cleats lose grip fast.
5. Load at a slow, steady speed with a spotter, never with anyone standing between or under the ramps.
6. Position for axle weights. Center the machine's weight slightly ahead of the trailer axles, then lower the bucket, boom or blade to the deck.
7. Secure it. Equipment of 10,000 lb or more needs at least four tie-downs; the full rules are in hotshot tie-down rules.
8. Ramps up and latched before you move.

What ramps cost

SOURCE: Kaufman deluxe 16,000 and 17,000 GVWR flatbed gooseneck option sheets (source), undated, checked Oct 26, 2026. Loadrunner Trailers 2026 inventory listings, checked Oct 26, 2026. Prices change; get a current quote.

Adding ramps later costs more than ordering them on the trailer, and welding on a dovetail after the fact changes the deck structure. If you think you'll haul equipment, order them up front.

Ramps and your setup

Ramps are one piece of the trailer decision, along with deck length, GVWR and hitch type. How they fit with the truck, the trailer and the rest of your gear is in hotshot setup, and more rig guides are on the guides page.

Booking equipment loads

Equipment moves pay for the setup only if the loads keep coming. Our hotshot dispatching service puts your deck height, dovetail and ramp type in your file, so you hear about the skid steers and mini excavators your trailer can load and not the ones it can't. You approve each load, and the rate confirmation comes from the broker to you. The TruckQuick dispatch desk runs every rig the same way.

Sources

• Kaufman Trailers deluxe flatbed gooseneck option sheets (checked Oct 26, 2026)
• Loadrunner Trailers 2026 gooseneck flatbed listings (checked Oct 26, 2026)
• 49 CFR 393.130, heavy equipment securement, via Cornell LII