WHAT TO KNOW

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There are a lot of small concession trailers showing up online today, and at first glance many of them look almost identical. They may have the same rounded shape, similar windows, similar colors and even similar photographs. What you cannot always see in an online advertisement is one of the most important differences: whether that trailer was actually manufactured and documented for use as a trailer in the United States.
That is one of the biggest reasons we created Airy Transit.
We did not simply find a trailer overseas, order a container of them and begin selling them. We traveled to China, visited and verified the manufacturers we work with, studied the requirements for trailers being manufactured for the United States and developed our trailers specifically for the American market.
Our trailers are manufactured for use in the United States, with the appropriate vehicle identification, manufacturer documentation and certification requirements associated with trailers built to comply with applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. They are not simply international-market kiosks or stands that happen to have wheels underneath them.

There is an important difference between something being shipped into the United States and something being manufactured specifically for the United States.
Many trailers that look similar to ours are manufactured primarily for European, Australian, Asian or general international markets. Those markets can have different towing equipment, electrical components, lighting requirements, hardware and vehicle standards.
Airy Transit trailers are specified for the American market.
That means we look at the trailer as an actual road-going trailer, not simply as a mobile kiosk. The hitch and coupler system, running gear, lighting, tires, wheels, VIN information, certification labeling and other components all matter.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has specifically warned consumers about noncompliant trailers being marketed in the United States as food trucks and vending stations. A trailer intended for highway use in America is not exempt from federal requirements simply because someone calls it a kiosk, vending cart, food stand or mobile building.
That distinction matters when it is time to title it, register it, insure it and actually operate your business.

We encourage customers to look closely when comparing trailers online.
Start at the front of the trailer. Look at the coupler, safety chains, electrical connection and towing components. Look at the tires and wheels. Look at the exterior lighting. Look for the manufacturer’s certification label and VIN information.
Pay attention to whether the trailer appears to have been configured specifically for the United States or whether everything about it suggests it was originally designed for another market.
Metric components alone do not automatically make a trailer illegal or noncompliant, but they can be one clue that you should start asking additional questions. The same is true when you see unfamiliar towing components, lighting arrangements or identification markings.
Do not simply ask, “Does it have a VIN?”
Ask who manufactured it, whether that manufacturer is properly identified for the United States, what standards the trailer was manufactured to meet and whether it carries the proper certification labeling.
Those are much better questions.

This is where new entrepreneurs can get themselves into trouble.
You find a trailer online that looks almost identical to another trailer for several thousand dollars less. It looks like a tremendous deal. You place the order, arrange shipping and begin designing the business around it.
Then the problems begin.
You may discover difficulties obtaining a title. You may have problems registering it. The hitch may need to be changed. Electrical components may not be what you expected. Lighting may need attention. A health department may require changes. Equipment may not fit. Plumbing may have been designed differently than what your particular business requires.
Suddenly the bargain is no longer a bargain.
One of the lessons we have learned through years of working with trailers is that the purchase price is only one part of the equation.
The goal should be to get your business open.

One of the most valuable things we provide at Airy Transit is not actually sitting on the trailer.
It is experience.
We have dealt with hundreds of people exploring mobile businesses, concession concepts and entrepreneurial ideas. We have heard the questions people ask before buying a trailer, and more importantly, we have heard the questions they wish they had asked six months later.
That allows us to help customers avoid some of the common mistakes.
What are you going to sell? Where are you planning to operate? What equipment are you putting inside? How much electricity will it require? Will you need water? Do you need hot water? What type of sink configuration does your local health department require? How much weight are you adding? What are you towing it with? Will you operate at festivals, on private property or from a permanent location?
Those conversations matter.
We would rather ask you questions before you purchase the trailer than have you discover the answers after you have already opened your wallet.

Someone can always find something cheaper on the internet.
That is true with almost everything.
What we want our customers to compare is not simply the photograph and the price. Compare the trailer, the documentation, the configuration, the support and the people standing behind it.
Ask our customers.
We have worked with hundreds and hundreds of entrepreneurs and small-business owners, and we are proud of the relationships we have built with them. We encourage prospective customers to talk with people who have already purchased from us and ask them about their experience.
Ask whether we answered their questions. Ask whether we helped when something unexpected happened. Ask whether we were still there after the trailer arrived.
And if one of our customers is not satisfied with the service we provided, we want to know about it because our responsibility does not end when a trailer leaves our facility.

People sometimes call us thinking their biggest decision is whether they want a white trailer, a black trailer or a stainless steel trailer.
Usually that is the easy decision.
Starting a business means thinking about permits, insurance, equipment, branding, power, plumbing, point-of-sale systems, commissary requirements, health departments, event fees, towing, storage and dozens of other little things that most first-time business owners have never had a reason to think about.
We cannot eliminate every challenge that comes with starting a business, and requirements can vary dramatically from one state, county and municipality to another.
But we can help you ask better questions.
That can save a tremendous amount of frustration.

Airy Transit trailers may be small, but the businesses being built inside them are very real.
For someone opening a coffee trailer, dessert business, mobile boutique, beverage operation, concession business or specialty retail concept, this trailer could represent months or years of planning. It could represent someone’s savings. It might be their first business or the beginning of something they hope eventually becomes much larger.
We understand that.
That is why we went overseas ourselves. It is why we visited manufacturers. It is why we took the time to understand the American trailer requirements. It is why we specify trailers for the United States instead of simply purchasing whatever happens to be available for the global marketplace.
And it is why we spend so much time talking with our customers about what they actually intend to do with the trailer.
Airy Transit is not about selling you the cheapest little trailer we can find.
It is about helping you start with the right foundation, avoid the mistakes we already know about and turn a small trailer into a real business.
Because when you are putting your name, your money and your future into something, what is underneath that pretty exterior matters just as much as what everyone sees on the outside.