Dovetail car trailers are so named for their downturned tail ends that look like bird tails pointing toward the ground. A lot of people are more familiar with standard flatbed trailers, which do not have this "tail" feature, but rather a drop end that can be raised or lowered to help secure cargo on the flatbed. However, dovetail trailers are seeing a new resurgence in use. They have some uses and advantages over flatbeds, as you will see. 

They Are Easier to Load and Haul Vehicles

The dovetail feature tips toward the ground so that all vehicles, including cars, ATVs, UTVs, and motorbikes and motorcycles can easily drive up to the trailer and use the "tail" to drive up onto the trailer's bed. This same feature also makes it much easier to unload any vehicles you haul with this type of trailer because you do not need any tire ramps off the back end to guide vehicle tires as you back up and unload. 

They Are a Little Lower to the Ground

Dovetail trailers are a little lower to the ground. Flatbeds are elevated, which is great if you are going to haul lots of lumber, boxes, or containers that you do not want slipping off the back of the trailer. However, it does make it difficult to load and haul anything large. Some flatbed owners find that they need a power winch, a crane, tire guides, or that they need to let the air out of some of their trailer's tires in order to load large items. None of those options are good, convenient, or fun. None of those options are required with a dovetail trailer because of its lower level parallel to the ground. 

The Dovetail Adds a Little Protection in Rear Accidents

Most of the time, if you hit the rear end of a flatbed, there is probably going to be some damage to the bed of the trailer itself. Beds on these trailers are wood, which means that they can be broken and splintered if the trailers are rear-ended hard enough. The "tail" on a dovetail is often made of steel, which adds some protection to the trailer. If another vehicle hits this steel "tail," one of two things will happen. Either the steel will jam the other vehicle short of the wood parts of the trailer, or it will cause the other vehicle to come up onto the trailer bed and be towed some distance. Either way, the actual wooden bed of the trailer will not receive the initial brunt of the vehicular blow. 

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