Why salt is hard on trailers
Road salt and brine on Ontario roads keep a damp, salty film on everything low on the trailer. That film sits in seams and pockets where air does not dry it out, and steel there rusts from the inside of the joint outward. You often see the stain before you see the damage. Fresh welds and bare metal where paint has chipped go first, then the corners that hold water.
The other problem is that rust can hide a crack. Scale on a cross member or hanger covers a hairline fracture, and a crack that has been wet all winter looks like a stain until a part lets go.
Fall checklist: before the salt starts
The best time to look is October to November, with the trailer empty and the weather dry.
- Chipped paint and bare steel. Touch up spots where metal is showing, especially on welds and brackets. Paint is cheap compared to steel.
- Cross member ends and floor supports. Look at where each member meets the main beam. See our guide to cracked trailer cross members.
- Suspension and bogie hangers. Check the welds and the plate around each hanger for cracks or rust bleeding out of a seam. More in cracked suspension hanger repair.
- Landing gear. Check mounting plates, braces and the crank. A seized crank in January is a bad surprise. Read landing gear: repair or replace.
- Door hardware. Hinges, lock rods and cam keepers seize with ice and salt. Put them through a full open and close cycle. See trailer door won't close.
- Rear ICC bumper. Check bolts, brackets and welds. A bent or loose rear guard is easier to fix before the lot ices over.
- Roof and side panels. Look for seams and fasteners that already let water in. Winter freeze and thaw make a small leak bigger. See reefer roof leak repair.
Winter habits that help
- Rinse the underside when temperatures allow, focusing on frame, axles, hangers and landing gear. Salt left on until spring does the most harm.
- Keep drain holes open. Water that cannot drain sits in the frame and floor structure.
- Free up ice carefully around doors and landing gear. Forcing a frozen door or crank bends hardware that was fine.
- Write up damage when you see it. A note and photo during a pre-trip inspection saves time later.
Spring checklist: what the winter left behind
After the last salt, wash the unit properly and look again. Things to find:
- Rust that has flaked in layers or pitted deep. A screwdriver that pokes through, or metal that sounds soft when tapped, means the steel is thin.
- Fresh shiny cracks at welds, hangers or the corners of the landing gear plate. Shiny metal inside a crack usually means it is moving.
- Floor soft spots over rusted cross members.
- Door frames and hinges that have warped or seized.
- Leaks around roof seams, found by checking for water stains inside.
Repair, reinforce or replace?
This is the same question we ask on any structural job, and salt makes it sharper. A clean crack in thick, sound steel can be ground out, welded and reinforced. Steel rusted thin is a different matter: welding to thin metal does not hold, so we cut back to good steel and fit new material. Rusted hangers, rotted cross members and corroded landing gear mounting plates are typical replacement jobs. If we think a repair will not last, we say so.
Aluminum and steel together
Aluminum does not rust like steel, but it can corrode where it touches steel, especially with salty water between the two. Check where aluminum sides, step boxes or toolboxes bolt to steel brackets, and where fasteners have rusted. Welded repair on aluminum trailers is covered in aluminum trailer crack repair.
Planning for fleets
If you run several units, schedule the fall check and the spring check as a routine, list the units that need work, and book them together. Several units can be done in one yard visit, with an itemized invoice per unit and invoices by email. Fleet accounts get priority call-outs. Fleet rates are available on request, so ask.
Because the work is mostly done where the unit is parked, a cleared flat area to work on and access to the underside both help. Our mobile trailer welding page explains how a call-out works, and our trailer welding and fabrication page lists the structural repairs we do.
How to photograph salt damage for a quote
- One wide shot of the whole area, so we see where on the trailer it is.
- A close-up of each rust or crack spot, with a coin or a pen beside it for scale.
- A view from underneath, with the flash on, for cross members and hangers.
- The trailer type, how old it is if you know, and where it is parked.
Send them to WhatsApp 437-985-7311. We quote from the photos before work begins.
Where we work
We are based at 115 Orenda Rd in Brampton and work in Mississauga, Toronto, Vaughan, Milton, Oakville and Caledon. Hours are 7 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week, with no overnight service and no highway-shoulder repairs.
Call 437-985-7311 WhatsApp photos
Frequently asked questions
Does road salt really damage trailers that much?
Salt and brine hold moisture against bare steel and speed up rusting, and the underside of a trailer gets sprayed all winter. Damage concentrates where water sits: weld seams, cross member ends, hanger brackets, landing gear mounts and door hardware. Aluminum corrodes differently, and the trouble spots are usually where it touches steel.
Should I repair surface rust or wait until spring?
Surface rust that is only on the paint or scale is a coating job. Rust that has pitted deep, flaked off in layers or opened a hole is a structural question, and it is better handled before more salt goes on. Photos help us tell which one you have.
Can you do rust repair on-site in the winter?
Most structural welding repairs are done in your yard with our welding truck, 7 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week. Snow, ice and wet ground slow things down, so a cleared, flat spot helps. We do not do overnight or highway-shoulder repairs.
Do you do fleet inspections for corrosion?
We repair what we find and can look at several units in one yard visit, with an itemized invoice per unit. We are a welding shop, not a certified inspection facility, so your annual safety inspection still stands on its own.
How do I get a price for rust repair?
Send photos to WhatsApp 437-985-7311, one wide shot and one close-up of each problem area. We do not guess prices from a description, so we quote from the photos before any work starts.
Related guides
More Baaz Welding guides · Cracked trailer cross member · Landing gear repair