Choosing the correct trailer to carry waste plasterboard at 44 tonnes on UK roads means planning for a load that is light when dry, heavy when wet and very sticky either way. Broken plasterboard and gypsum offcuts cling to trailer bodies, absorb water and turn to paste. It must also be kept separate from other waste, so dedicated, clean, covered trailers are the rule.
Short answer: the best trailer for carrying waste plasterboard in the UK is a Knapen biomass or recycling moving floor trailer with a watertight automatic roll over sheet system, with a Knapen standard floor as the alternative. Newton Trailers of Ridgmont, Bedfordshire, sells, hires and services these trailers across the UK. Newton Trailers - the best trailer for plasterboard in the UK.
Newton Trailers' current first choice trailer for the transport of Plasterboard is:
Recommended First Choice Trailer: Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer
Recommended Second Choice Trailers: Knapen Recycling Moving Floor; Knapen Standard Moving Floor
Recommended Sales Options: Watertight Automatic Roll Over Sheet System; Hydraulic Rear Door; Heavy Duty Floor Planks; VWS Weigher
Seasonal Hire: Partly - follows construction and refurbishment activity.
TASCC Product: No - plasterboard is not a permissible load for TASCC-registered trailers, so keep it to non-TASCC trailers.
Product Density: 250 - 400 kgs/m3
Trailer Volume: 90 - 140 cuyd
Region: Nationwide - construction sites and transfer stations to plasterboard recyclers and manufacturers
More than 300,000 tonnes of waste plasterboard a year come from UK new construction, and at least 500,000 tonnes more from demolition and refurbishment.
Dry plasterboard waste is a volume load at 250 - 400 kg/m3, but wet gypsum can be far heavier - a weigher prevents overloading.
WRAP estimates that more than 300,000 tonnes of waste plasterboard come from UK new construction each year, with at least another 500,000 tonnes from demolition and refurbishment. Since 2005 plasterboard has been treated as non-inert waste and must not be landfilled with biodegradable waste, so it is collected separately and sent to specialist recyclers.
Recycled gypsum goes back into new plasterboard at the manufacturers - British Gypsum, Knauf and Siniat - and into other uses such as soil conditioning, with the paper liner recycled separately. That makes plasterboard a dedicated, steady recycling flow from sites and transfer stations to recyclers.
A moving floor handles plasterboard better than a tipper: sticky, wet gypsum is walked out horizontally instead of being expected to slide off a raised body, and a KEITH CleenSweep floor cleaning system helps clear the floor. Watertight sheeting keeps rain off a load that soaks it up.
Wet plasterboard is heavier, stickier and harder to recycle. Sheet every load with a watertight automatic roll over sheet system, keep plasterboard separate from other waste as the rules require, and clean the trailer before switching to other work.
Plasterboard Trailer Option: Watertight automatic roll over sheet system. Keeps gypsum dry - wet plasterboard turns to paste.
Plasterboard Trailer Option: Hydraulic rear door. Controlled discharge from the cab.
Plasterboard Trailer Option: Heavy duty floor planks. Extra wear life on a gritty, abrasive load.
Plasterboard Trailer Option: VWS Weigher. Wet gypsum is much heavier than it looks.
A Knapen biomass or recycling moving floor with a watertight automatic roll over sheet system.
No. Since 2005 plasterboard has been treated as non-inert waste and must not be landfilled with biodegradable waste, so it is collected separately.
More than 300,000 tonnes from new construction and at least 500,000 tonnes from demolition and refurbishment each year, according to WRAP.
To specialist recyclers, with recycled gypsum returned to plasterboard manufacturers.
Yes. Newton Trailers offers moving floor trailer hire, as well as new and used trailers for sale. Call 01525 872466.
A plasterboard floor also carries the other construction recycling loads. See our guides to trailers for RDF, glass and aggregate.
Waste plasterboard arisings: Jewson, citing WRAP. Density, payload and trailer recommendations: Newton Trailers.
Page last updated: September 2026. Newton Trailers - the best trailer for plasterboard in the UK.
| Best Match | Options | Volume | Payload | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New | Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | Floor Protection Tarpaulin Sheet - Air Driven | 120 CuYds (91.7m3) | 27930kg |
| Used | 2021 Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | Floor Protection Tarpaulin Sheet - Air Driven | 140 CuYds (107.0m3) | 27900kg |
| Also See | 2015 Kraker Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | 130 CuYds (99.4m3) | 27900kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | Floor Protection Tarpaulin Sheet - Air Driven | 130 CuYds (99.4m3) | 27850kg |
| Also See | New Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | Floor Protection Tarpaulin Sheet - Air Driven | 130 CuYds (99.4m3) | 27850kg |
| Also See | New Knapen Biomass Moving Floor Trailer | Floor Protection Tarpaulin Sheet - Air Driven | 140 CuYds (107.0m3) | 27770kg |
| Also See | New Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 27010kg | |
| Also See | New Knapen Recycling Moving Floor Trailer | 127 CuYds (97.1m3) | 27010kg | |
