Trailer assembly for transport of containers of proppant material

A trailer assembly for transporting a plurality of proppant containers along a roadway, the trailer assembly comprising:

• a frame including structural components with open areas positioned therebetween defining a skeletal structure having a first section arranged at a rearward end of the trailer assembly, a second section arranged forward of the first section, a third section arranged forward of the second section and a connector section arranged at a forward end of the trailer assembly, wherein the second and third sections are configured to support the plurality of proppant containers in a side-by-side arrangement along a longitudinal axis of the frame, the structural components including:
• a first pair of spaced-apart side rails extending longitudinally along the first section;
• a second pair of spaced-apart side rails extending longitudinally along the second and third sections and structurally strengthened to support and stabilize the plurality of proppant containers, wherein the first pair of side rails is supported on a top surface of the second pair of side rails such that a first section elevation from a ground plane to a top surface of the first pair of side rails is greater than a second section elevation from the ground plane to the top surface of the second pair of side rails and configured to distribute and stabilize said plurality of proppant containers positioned on the lower-elevated second and third sections;
• a first pair of outriggers including a first front beam member and a first rear beam member connected to and transversely extending from the second pair of side rails, each of the first front and rear beam members having distal ends positioned outwardly from the second pair of side rails such that a top surface of the first front and first rear beam members lie in a plane defined by the top surface of the second pair of side rails and a first mounting platform disposed on each distal end such that a first mounting platform elevation is greater than the second section elevation but less than the first section elevation, wherein the first mounting platforms are configured to support a first of said filled proppant containers;
• a second pair of outriggers including a second front beam member and a second rear beam member connected to and transversely extending from the second pair of side rails proximate the first pair of outriggers, each of the second front and rear beam members having distal ends positioned outwardly from the second pair of side rails such that a top surface of the second front and rear beam members lie in the plane defined by the top surface of the second pair of side rails and a second mounting platform disposed on each distal end such that a second mounting platform elevation is greater than the second section elevation but less than the first section elevation, wherein the second mounting platforms are configured to support a second of said proppant containers in the side-by-side arrangement;
• and
• at least three wheel and axle assemblies positioned subjacent to the first pair of side rails and rearward of the second pair of side rails, each wheel and axle assembly including a plurality of wheels rotatably connected to an axle to enable rolling movement of the frame.