Trail King Industries, Inc.

What Trail King Industries, Inc. does

Trail King Industries, Inc. is a privately held, specialized heavy-haul trailer manufacturer founded in 1974 in Mitchell, South Dakota. The company designs, engineers, and assembles a complete line of trailers ranging from 12,000 to 1,000,000-pound load capacities across materials hauling (bottom dump, live bottom, side dump), open deck commercial and construction (steel-aluminum step deck, hydraulic and mechanical detachable gooseneck, extendable double drop), specialized steerable platforms, tagalong, crane attachments, and paint process trailers. Underlying technology centers on proprietary sub-systems: a hydraulic detachable gooseneck that enables a 60-second one-person connection, automatic kingpin steering delivering up to 40 degrees of steering angle, a two-piece rolled Hardox 450 abrasion-resistant side-dump tub, a frictionless hydrostatic drive for live bottom discharge in a single revolution, and steel-aluminum combo framing for payload efficiency. Trail King operates four US manufacturing facilities (Mitchell SD, West Fargo ND rebuilt in 2021, and Yankton SD added via the 2015 Dakota Trailer Manufacturing acquisition) totaling more than 455,000 square feet, and has been owned since 2010 by the diversified industrial conglomerate CC Industries, Inc.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sales of trailers via a combination of direct field sales (20-plus District Sales Managers covering US and Canadian territories), a North American dealer network, government contract vehicles (Sourcewell cooperative contract and GSA access), and a corporate website. Recurring and aftermarket revenue comes from a specialized parts department, factory refurbishment services, customer service and warranty support, and captive equipment financing through Trail King Finance (loans, finance leases, TRAC leases, 100% equipment financing up to $500,000 per transaction, terms of 24-84 months, with extension into construction, trucks, and agricultural equipment). End markets are diversified across construction, agriculture (including grain handling), waste and recycling, transportation/freight, and specialized heavy haul including the emerging wind energy transport segment; the customer base spans individual owner-operators and enterprise fleets such as Frontier Specialized Heavy Transport.

Name

Trail King Industries, Inc.

Legal name

Trail King Industries, Inc.

Website

http://www.trailking.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Trail King Industries is a privately held North American manufacturer founded in 1974 and based in Mitchell, South Dakota, designing and building specialized heavy-haul trailers (12,000 to 1,000,000 lb capacities) for construction, agriculture, transportation, waste and recycling, and wind energy customers, distributed via direct sales, a dealer network, and government procurement channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialized Heavy-Haul Trailers

NAICS

Truck Trailer Manufacturing (336212)

SIC

Truck Trailers (3715)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Trailer Manufacturing (Dry Van/Reefer/Flatbed/Tanker) (IMACABAH)

Keywords

• Heavy haul trailers
• Construction equipment trailers
• Materials hauling trailers
• Specialized transport trailers
• Trailer manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mitchell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Trailer Sales: Trail King designs, engineers, and manufactures trailers across multiple product lines including open deck, materials hauling, specialized, tagalong, crane attachments, and paint process trailers. Revenue is generated through direct sales to end customers and through a dealer network across North America.
2. Parts Sales: Trail King operates a specialized parts department providing component identification, replacement orders, and equipment maintenance support to trailer owners.
3. Trailer Refurbishment Services: Full-service factory refurbishment including structural restoration, sandblasting, painting, component updates, frame and structural work, air/electrical/hydraulic systems, and spring and air axle components. Located at Mitchell, SD factory service center.
4. Trailer Financing: Trail King Finance offers a full suite of financing including loans, finance leases, TRAC leases, and 100% equipment financing. Financing also extends to construction equipment, trucks, and agricultural equipment. Approval up to $500,000 with just a completed credit application; minimum financing amount $10,000.
5. Government Contracts: Trail King holds government contracts through Sourcewell national cooperative purchasing and GSA, allowing government agencies to purchase trailers without duplicating the bidding process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Trail King Industries designs, engineers, and manufactures a complete line of specialized heavy-haul trailers for commercial, construction, agricultural, transportation, waste and recycling, and specialized hauling applications. Load capacities range from 12,000 to 1,000,000 pounds across product categories including materials hauling (bottom dump, live bottom, side dump), open deck (steel-aluminum step deck, hydraulic and commercial detachable goosenecks, extendable double drops), specialized (automatic kingpin steering trailers), and tagalong. The company also provides factory trailer refurbishment, a parts department, customer service and warranty assistance, and Trail King Finance financing solutions.

Product overview

Trail King Industries, Inc. is a specialized heavy-haul trailer manufacturer offering a complete line of trailers across multiple product categories. The core product portfolio includes Materials Hauling trailers (TKBD Bottom Dump, TKLB/TKLBH Live Bottom, TKSSD Steel Side Dump), Open Deck Commercial and Construction trailers (TKACS Steel-Aluminum Step Deck, TKDHG-C Hydraulic Detachable Gooseneck, MG-HG Commercial Detachable Gooseneck, HED Extendable Double Drop), Specialized trailers (Steerable automatic kingpin steering trailers TK110HD-S, TK160HDG-S, TK130HES-S), and Tagalong trailers. The company complements its trailer offerings with comprehensive support services including a specialized Parts Department, Trailer Refurbishment (factory service center), Customer Service & Warranty Assistance, and Trail King Finance (financing solutions). Trail King serves diverse industries including construction, agriculture, transportation, waste and recycling, and specialized hauling, with load capacities ranging from 12,000 to 1,000,000 pounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TKBD Bottom Dump

Quantifiable outcome

• Trailers haul loads from 12,000 lbs to 1,000,000 lbs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SourcewellcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 31 January 2024Trail King was re-awarded a national cooperative contract through Sourcewell (formerly NJPA) in the Trailers with Related Equipment, Accessories, and Services category. Sourcewell serves over 50,000 member agencies (education and government sectors) in the US and Canada. This contract allows registered Sourcewell users to purchase Trail King trailers through cooperative purchasing without duplicating the bidding process.
• American Material Handling (AMH)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrail King offers GSA purchasing through trusted partner American Material Handling (AMH-eq.com). AMH facilitates Trail King's access to federal government procurement vehicles under GSA schedules.
• Mitchell Technical Institute (MTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough Trail King's Workforce Recruitment Program, Mitchell Technical Institute partners with Trail King on a scholarship program in conjunction with paid internships during school. The program provides training and hands-on experience required for careers in manufacturing, reducing education costs for participants.
• North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrail King's Workforce Recruitment Program includes a scholarship partnership with NDSCS, in conjunction with paid internships while attending school. This partnership provides training and hands-on experience required for manufacturing careers at Trail King.
• Build Dakota ScholarshipsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrail King participates in the Build Dakota Scholarship program which supports technical education and workforce development in the region, linked through Trail King's workforce recruitment program page.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Wabash National Corporation: Wabash National is the largest publicly traded trailer manufacturer in North America, producing dry vans, reefers, and a growing portfolio of specialized trailers. It is comparable to Trail King as a broad incumbent in the same trailer-manufacturing category with overlapping customer segments.
• Great Dane: Great Dane is a long-established North American trailer manufacturer with broad coverage across dry van, refrigerated, and platform trailers. It overlaps with Trail King's open-deck construction and transportation segments as a broader incumbent.
• Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company: Utility Trailer is one of North America's largest trailer manufacturers, focused primarily on dry vans and reefers. It serves overlapping transportation and logistics customers as a broad incumbent in the trailer manufacturing space.

Direct peers

• Talbert Manufacturing: Talbert Manufacturing produces specialized heavy-haul trailers including detachable goosenecks, extendable platforms, and multi-axle configurations for oversize/overweight loads. It is a direct competitor to Trail King in the specialized heavy-haul niche serving construction, wind energy, and heavy industrial customers.
• Landoll Corporation: Landoll manufactures heavy-haul lowboy/detachable gooseneck trailers as well as specialized agricultural and material-handling equipment. It directly competes with Trail King in lowboy, hydraulic detachable gooseneck, and tagalong product lines.
• Heil Trailer International: Heil Trailer manufactures tankers, bottom dumps, and specialty trailers for bulk hauling, waste, and construction applications. It is directly comparable to Trail King's bottom dump and materials-hauling product lines.
• MAC Trailer: MAC Trailer manufactures dump trailers, drop deck platforms, and flatbeds targeted at construction, aggregate, and waste-hauling markets. It is a direct peer to Trail King's bottom dump, side dump, and open deck construction product lines.

Regional players

• Manac Inc. Manac is a Canadian trailer manufacturer producing dry vans, platforms, and specialty trailers primarily for the Canadian and North American markets. It is comparable to Trail King as a regional competitor with similar product categories but a Canadian manufacturing base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/@trailkingind
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TrailKingMan
• Facebookfacebook.com/trailkingind
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trailkingind
• Instagraminstagram.com/trailkingind

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trail King Industries, Inc.