Donate a dump trailer when the hauling stopped but the trailer did not

Where donated dump trailers come from

Landscapers and roofers replacing on a wear cycle. A dump trailer takes abuse and the body goes before the frame does, so owners often replace while the trailer still has real value.

Contractors who finished a phase of work. A 14-foot dump bought for a demolition contract has nothing to do afterward, and it is too valuable to sit and too specific to sell quickly.

Homeowners and small farms send single-axle and smaller tandem units bought for a property project.

Towed behind a pickup

A dump trailer with sound tires, working lights and an intact coupler gets towed. Inexpensive and fast.

Tell us whether the hydraulics lift, whether the battery holds a charge and whether the remote works. A trailer that will not raise still sells, but the driver should know the bed is going to stay down.

Empty the bed and make sure the tailgate latches. A bed full of debris is the one thing that turns an easy pickup into a problem, and disposal cost comes straight out of the proceeds.

What decides what a dump trailer brings

• Capacity and bed size. The 12 to 16-foot, 14,000-pound class is the deepest market.
• Hydraulics. Whether it lifts, and whether it is single ram, scissor or telescopic. A working telescopic lift is worth the most.
• Bed and floor condition. Floor thickness, dents, and whether the sides are bowed. This is where a dump trailer wears out.
• Battery, charger and remote. A complete working setup with the remote is a meaningful add.
• Tarp, ramps and gate style. A roll tarp, slide-in ramps and a barn-door or spreader gate all widen the buyer pool.

Makes we accept

Dump trailers sell hard on brand.

• Most common: Big Tex, PJ Trailers, Load Trail, Bri-Mar, Sure-Trac, Diamond C, Cam Superline, Felling, Lamar, Midsota.
• Also seen: BWise, Iron Bull, Belmont, CAM, Homesteader, U-Dump, Ranch King, Texas Bragg.
• Hydraulic and component brands buyers ask about: KTI and Bucher power units, Interstate and Deka batteries.

Manufacturer names appear here so you can find your own trailer. No manufacturer sponsors, endorses or is affiliated with this program.

The paperwork, and what you can deduct

Trailer titling varies more by state than anything else we accept. Some states title every trailer, some only above a weight threshold, and some issue nothing at all for smaller ones. We will tell you which applies where you are, and the state title rules page covers the process. Where there is no title, a bill of sale plus the VIN or serial plate off the tongue is what we need.

Giving Center sells the trailer and your deduction is the gross sale proceeds on Form 1098-C. Most working dump trailers land between $500 and $5,000, where Form 8283 Section A applies with no appraisal. A large late-model unit can clear $5,000, and above that the IRS requires a qualified appraisal at your expense.

An older trailer with a dead pump and a rusted floor may come in under $500, where the deduction is the lesser of fair market value or $500 with a written acknowledgment rather than a 1098-C.