Toughness and quality are built into every Merritt trailer, and the Cattle Baron is no exception. As a leader in designing and manufacturing rugged and durable gooseneck trailers, Merritt knows that quality and dependability are the keys to its success. Merritt trailers are designed to stay on the road for multiple generations. As good-looking as they are strong, punch-side designs are the trailers of choice because of their smooth inside walls, lighter weight and better resale value.
Merritt gooseneck trailers are engineered to deliver enhanced strength in the nose area, incorporating full-length Z-member supports crafted from high-strength steel for exceptional durability.
All gooseneck trailers come standard with a durable spare tire carrier and a 15,000 lb. landing leg featuring a high-speed crank. This heavy-duty landing leg ensures smooth and efficient trailer leveling, while the tire carrier provides convenient, secure storage for your spare tire, keeping everything you need easily accessible and ready for use.
Every rivet is carefully bucked by hand, ensuring a smooth, seamless finish that enhances the experience of your livestock. The interior side walls feature minimal-depth embossments, preventing animal waste from adhering, making the trailer easier to clean and maintain. With no vertical posts to trap waste, the smooth walls offer better protection against animal bruising and reduce the risk of bio-security issues caused by waste buildup, ensuring a healthier environment for your animals.
Merritt Gooseneck trailers feature time-tested riveted construction, known for its ability to flex and adapt under pressure, ensuring long-lasting durability. The 6″ extruded side posts and 48″ wide .080″ aluminum side sheets provide a strong, resilient framework, offering both flexibility and strength for a trailer that performs reliably in any conditions.
All Merritt trailers are built with a welded steel subframe, designed to maximize strength, durability, and the overall longevity of your trailer. Our steel frames undergo a two-part painting process, providing enhanced protection against corrosion and electrolysis, ensuring your trailer remains reliable and resilient for years to come.
The safety latch keeps the full gate from swinging back at you when engaging the camlock. This latch can be opened from inside the trailer to prevent accidental lock-ins.
When a Gooseneck trailer is pulled across uneven terrain, the rear can drag, causing scraping that may push dirt and gravel into the subframe and damage cross members. To prevent this, Merritt welds a segmented skid plate across the rear of the bottom deck. This welded design provides enhanced durability and strength, offering superior protection compared to fastened options.
Merritt’s movable gate is one of many gate options that allows the owner to designate the distances between the gates, allowing for custom compartment sizing. This floating gate travels from the fender well to the front of the trailer and can lock into every post.
Merritt offers LED interior lighting to make sure you can safely see when operating after dark.
Welded-in floors and a Merritt-designed 3″ structural cross-member puts the material where you need it. This Merritt custom extrusion is used in large semis and has proven to be the strongest cross-member in the industry. Unlike riveted floors, welded-in floors do not vibrate loose over time and provide a very solid surface for your livestock. Our I-beam style cross-member will never “roll over” or flatten out over time. To build the best trailer, you have to build the best sub-structure, and Merritt continues to lead the industry in that area.
Merritt’s Cattle Baron line comes standard with extruded winter posts, designed to support paneling along the sides of the trailer. This innovative feature provides your livestock with a more comfortable ride, reducing stress and helping to maintain a stable interior temperature, even in the coldest conditions.
Tapered fender wells are designed to stay as tight to the wall as possible in both the 7′ & 8′ wide trailers. Larger capacity axles require more inside fender wells.
Fender guards on both the front and rear come standard on Merritt’s gooseneck trailers. These provide fender protection and can be used as a step. They are also self-draining, limiting snow & ice build-up.
The Snap-Back Latching System is a low-profile, high-tension latch designed for easy operation from both inside and outside the trailer. Featuring replaceable UHMW anti-friction strips and a heavy-gauge fabricated plate, this latch is low-maintenance and built for long-lasting durability. It securely holds the gate against the extruded backstop, ensuring a tight closure that prevents the gate from bouncing open during transport. This reliable system offers consistent performance with minimal upkeep. UHMW anti-friction strips and a heavy-gauge fabricated plate make this latch very simple and durable. It holds the gate against the striker bar and keeps it tight to keep it from bouncing open during transport.
Merritt’s fully sealed, plug-together harness-style wiring is designed to keep out the elements that can cause damage. This robust system protects against water, road dirt, gravel, and animal waste, ensuring the trailer’s wiring remains safe and functional. If an issue arises, troubleshooting is quick and simple, and new sections can be easily replaced. The enclosed and protected wiring offers long-lasting reliability and minimizes the risk of damage, providing peace of mind during transport.
Merritt takes safety on the road and on the ranch seriously by making loading lights & high-visibility LED stop and tail lights standard equipment on every Cattle Baron model.
Aluminum trailers need stronger corners to mitigate the stress of twisting. Merritt has spared no expense to ensure the corners will never give you a problem.
The floor is built with laterally welded seams and durable diamond plate, the same material used in our Cattle Drive semis, ensuring exceptional longevity and resilience. This robust deck is the strongest in the industry, supported by Merritt’s exclusive 3” livestock cross members, offering unmatched strength and durability.
Merritt has long been known for designing roofs that can endure the demanding conditions of hauling livestock, and the Cattle Baron design is no exception. This roof is crafted from a single sheet of high-grade aluminum, riveted and sealed around the perimeter for maximum durability. It is bonded to extra-wide roof bows with a high-strength adhesive, ensuring a secure, long-lasting structure that withstands the rigors of heavy use while providing reliable protection for your livestock.
The punch side design, originally introduced by Merritt in the 1960s, has become the industry standard for its unmatched advantages. Known for its superior strength, flexibility under load, and enhanced air ventilation, this design also offers smooth interior walls and maximum inside width. Originally developed for large semis, the punch sheet & post design has stood the test of time, consistently outperforming other trailers on the market. Several punch side options are available to suit all weather conditions, ensuring optimal performance and durability in any environment.
