The office trailer industry has gone through significant consolidation in recent years. Smaller office trailer dealers either went out of business or were purchased by national chains. Now even the "small" dealers have millions of dollars of trailers in inventory and can handle the largest orders.

You will almost always be obtaining your trailer from a dealer, not a manufacturer: few factories work directly with the public. However if you find a factory that does go direct, there's no reason to shy away: you may get a slightly better price when dealing directly with a manufacturer, although delivery charges from their location could cancel those savings out entirely.

Reputation and longevity are two factors to evaluate when choosing a dealer. Word-of-mouth is important because there are relatively few dealers: we suggest talking to any contacts you have in the construction industry to get a good sense of who the better office trailer dealers in your area are. And because customers who rent office trailers tend to do so repeatedly, the best dealers tend to stay in business for years and years.

Established dealers should be able to put you in touch with references who they have long-standing relationships with. Some sample questions to get a sense of a dealer's reputation:

• How long have you worked with this dealer? How often do you rent or buy from them?
• Are their deliveries and installations on time and to spec?
• Did you get the right trailer for your needs?
• What could the dealer improve about their operation?
• Are they flexible enough to respond when you have unusual requests?

Local or not?
Some customers prefer working with a local vendor whenever they can - and when the subject is office trailers, this provides a couple of advantages. First is a very simple cost consideration: you'll be paying a delivery fee that can range from $1.50 to $6.00 per mile. If the two dealers you're considering are 30 and 50 miles away, there's not enough of a cost difference to worry about, but if one is 30 miles away and the other is 150, make sure to factor in the increased delivery cost.

Also, be aware that states have differing limits on the size of trailers that can be legally transported over the road. If you're ordering a trailer from another state, be sure you know the size limits in every state it will have to pass through.

Another consideration is repairs. If you're leasing your trailer, the dealer will be responsible for any and all needed repairs, so having a dealer who's relatively nearby can improve their response time.

What to watch out for
If you come across a dealer who is new to the business and only sells trailers - that is, they don't lease them - you might want to investigate a little more closely. In an industry where 80% of the business is leasing, only handling sales can be an indication that someone is only trying to make a quick buck. Their lack of commitment to the industry can increase your chances of getting a bad deal.

You should also be careful of high-pressure sales tactics, even at larger, reputable firms. Even the best companies can hire over-aggressive salespeople sometimes - so be cautious if your hear sales pitches that include old nuggets like "We just had a big order cancel" and "If you don't sign today, you'll miss this great deal."