Grain Hopper Trailers Hold Their Value

While supply of grain hopper trailers have taken a hit since the early 2020s, as with all other types of equipment, the market is returning to a stable place.

“2024 was an interesting year,” said Brian Anderson, Timpte’s eastern region general manager. “The first half of the year, we were still on the COVID highs, where supply did not meet the demand. But in the second half, that changed.”

He said new and used trailer purchasing slowed as the year went on, with more used trailers available later in the year than at the beginning.

“Our core customer is a one-, two-trailer farmer, and with corn and bean prices being down, we saw a decline in spending,” Anderson said. He also noted that historically, there has been a reluctance to spend during an election year; however, in the days following the 2024 election, they saw an increase in demand.

Brent Van Soelen, whole unit sales coordinator for Vander Haag’s, an equipment dealer with locations in seven states, says their supply of used ag hopper trailers declined last year.

“It’s so easy for farmers to put their used trailers out on places like Facebook Marketplace or just by word of mouth, and they move their own inventory and then bring the cash in to buy something new,” he said. “We’re just not seeing the used trade-ins the last few years, like we historically have.”

Van Soelen said pricing has come down slightly on used trailers, but added he doesn’t normally see huge price swings either way.

“Used hoppers hold their value a little better, so pricing doesn’t go way up or way down; it’s just pretty steady,” he said.

Sales Data

A search of TractorHouse for 2021 and newer model year grain hopper trailers returned 238 results, ranging from sale prices of $76,000, for a 2024 Timpte 50-foot Tri-Axle trailer in North Dakota, to $12,500, for a 2021 Neville 24-foot single-axle trailer in South Dakota. The average price was $45,575. Of the 238 units sold, 110 were Timpte models and 72 were Wilson, with the remainder from a variety of other manufacturers.

Going back a little farther, 879 used (model year 2000–2021) trailers were sold recently, with an average price of $30,897.

Anderson said he expects to see about a 20% decrease in demand for new trailers in the first half of 2025 but then leveling out into the end of the year.

Care and Maintenance

Anderson said Timpte recommends that farmers buying new trailers consider a three-year trade cycle to align with their factory warranties.

“Having said that, we have a lot of customers who trade in much older, 20-plus-year-old trailers that have been used for many years,” he added.

Corrosion is the biggest thing that shortens a hopper trailer’s useful life, especially in the northern regions, because of road treatments for ice and snow. Being diligent about regularly cleaning off salt and other chemicals is one of the most important ways to keep a trailer in good working condition.

“Preventative maintenance on the trapdoors and roller bearings is also important, especially as we get into the harvest period of high usage,” Anderson said. Other routine tasks, such as greasing, checking airbags, and checking brakes, should be part of a regular maintenance schedule.

Van Soelen recommended checking the kingpin area to make sure the plate isn’t gouged and the head is straight. He also recommended sticking your head up under the trailer to make sure you don’t see any cracks or rusted areas that might produce holes.

“And make sure the hopper doors shut smoothly,” he said. “If they don’t crank well when the trailer is empty, they’re going to crank a whole lot harder when it’s full.”

Timpte grain hopper trailers can be fitted with features to enhance the operator experience, including power tarps and EZ Flow, an automatic hopper door system (below).

Add-Ons That Pay

Although grain hopper trailers are fairly straightforward in their design and function, a few features can make a difference when it comes to ease of use and resale value.

“More than 80% of our new trailers come off the line with a power tarp installed,” Anderson said. The ability to open and close the tarp without leaving the cab saves time, as well as the driver’s energy.

Van Soelen said aluminum trailers outsell steel trailers nearly nine times out of 10.

“If you have to use your trailer in the wintertime, you don’t want a steel trailer,” he said.

Another addition that increases efficiency and safety for the driver and elevator personnel are automatic hopper doors, which Timpte calls their EZ Flow system. Using a remote instead of a hand crank to open and close the doors keeps extra people away from the unloading area and helps eliminate shoulder and back injuries.

“If you put EZ Flow on one trailer, you’re going to put it on all your trailers,” Anderson said. “Our version is unique in the market, with an electric-over-hydraulic-driven door, where others only have the electric component.”

EZ Flow can be installed on any manufacturer’s trailer and is available from local Timpte dealers. According to Anderson, it costs around $4,000 per trailer, including installation, or a little less if a farmer installs it. If purchased as part of a new trailer build, it’s about half that price.