A jockey wheel is one of those small trailer accessories that nobody talks about until they need it, and then they wonder how they ever towed without one. On an enclosed cargo trailer rental, a good jockey wheel turns hitching, unhitching, and parking from a back breaking guessing game into a one person job. It is also one of the cheapest upgrades a rental owner can make to a listing, and it is the kind of detail that earns five star reviews.

This guide explains what a jockey wheel actually does, how to size one for an enclosed trailer, the difference between smooth and serrated designs, how to use one safely, and why it matters for both renters and owners booking through Neighbors Trailer.

What a Jockey Wheel Actually Does

A jockey wheel is a small caster style wheel mounted to the tongue of a trailer, usually right next to the coupler or the tongue jack. It carries the front of the trailer when the trailer is unhitched, lets the operator wind the coupler up and down to mate with the tow vehicle hitch ball, and makes it possible to roll the trailer a few feet in any direction by hand. Many tongue jacks already have a small swivel wheel at the bottom that performs the same function. A dedicated jockey wheel is bigger, sturdier, and built to handle a higher tongue weight without bogging down in gravel or dirt.

On an enclosed trailer this matters more than on a utility trailer. Enclosed cargo trailers carry extra weight in the walls, the roof, and the rear ramp door. Tongue weights of 300 to 800 pounds are normal, and a wheel that is too small will sink, jam, or fail to roll on uneven ground.

Sizing a Jockey Wheel for an Enclosed Trailer

The single most important number when picking a jockey wheel is the load rating. As a general rule, the wheel needs to handle at least the trailer tongue weight, and ideally 1.5 times that number to give a safety margin for shock loads when rolling over a curb or expansion joint. The table below shows the matchups that work in real fleet use for common enclosed trailer sizes.

The two best signals that an existing jockey wheel is undersized are tongue jack creep when the trailer is loaded and a wheel that flat spots or splits within the first season of use. Both indicate the wheel is being asked to do more than it was designed for.

Pneumatic vs Solid Rubber, Smooth vs Serrated

There are really two design choices that matter. The first is the tire itself. Solid rubber and hard plastic wheels never go flat, never need air, and shrug off nails and gravel. They roll harder than pneumatic tires, transmit more shock to the tongue, and tend to skid sideways on smooth concrete. Pneumatic wheels roll easier, absorb impact, and steer better on dirt and grass. They can also pick up a screw and go flat at the worst possible time.

The second choice is the post itself. Smooth posts slide up and down inside a clamp, which makes them quick to adjust and a fine choice for lighter single axle enclosed trailers. Serrated or ribbed posts have notches that lock into the clamp, which prevents the post from sliding under heavy load. For tandem axle enclosed trailers and any rental that gets used hard, a serrated post is the safer pick.

Source: Neighbors Trailer owner survey, NeighborsTrailer.com

How to Use a Jockey Wheel Safely

The mechanics are simple, but the order matters. Skipping a step is the fastest way to bend a coupler or drop a loaded trailer onto a foot.

1. Park the tow vehicle as close to the trailer as possible and chock the trailer wheels before doing anything else. A loaded enclosed trailer can roll on a slope you cannot even see.
2. Lower the jockey wheel until it firmly contacts the ground and the tongue jack starts to lift the front of the trailer slightly.
3. Use the winding handle to raise or lower the coupler until it sits roughly two inches above the hitch ball on the tow vehicle.
4. Roll the trailer over the ball using the jockey wheel. On a smooth surface a single person can move 600 to 800 pounds of tongue weight without difficulty.
5. Wind the coupler down onto the ball, latch the coupler, install the safety pin, and confirm that the latch will not lift by trying to pull it open by hand.
6. Cross the safety chains under the tongue, connect the breakaway cable to a frame point on the tow vehicle, and plug in the trailer light harness.
7. Wind the jockey wheel all the way up into the stow position, lock the swivel pin, and verify that the wheel cannot drop or contact the road during travel.
8. Do a walk around: lights, tires, ramp door latch, and any cargo straps.

Reverse the order at the destination. The most common driveway accident is forgetting the wheel chocks before unhitching, which lets the trailer roll away the second the coupler is unlatched.

Why Renters Care About Jockey Wheels

For renters, a good jockey wheel is the difference between a stress free pickup and a frustrating one. The renter who shows up alone in a sedan rental, or who needs to spot the trailer perfectly into a driveway, is going to leave a five star review when the jockey wheel does its job. The renter who has to muscle a 600 pound tongue across gravel because the wheel is too small or seized is going to leave a one star review and not come back.

For owners, the math is straightforward. A quality jockey wheel costs 60 to 150 dollars, ships from any trailer parts store, and bolts on in under an hour. Two extra rentals at the going day rate pay for it. Listings on Neighbors Trailer that include the words jockey wheel and pneumatic in the description tend to convert at noticeably higher rates than otherwise comparable listings.

NT Protect Coverage

Every booking through Neighbors Trailer is automatically covered by NT Protect, which is mandatory on every reservation and adds only a few dollars per day to the rental price. NT Protect gives renters peace of mind during the rental and helps owners recover if something goes wrong on the road. Owners listing an enclosed trailer for rent should make sure the jockey wheel is included in the maintenance walk around at every turnaround.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a jockey wheel the same thing as a tongue jack?

Not quite. A tongue jack lifts and lowers the front of the trailer. A jockey wheel adds a wheel at the bottom of that jack so the trailer can also be rolled by hand. Many tongue jacks come with a small plastic foot wheel from the factory, which is fine for occasional use but not enough for a heavy enclosed trailer.

Can I install a jockey wheel myself?

Yes. Most replacement jockey wheels bolt to a clamp that wraps around the existing tongue jack post or the trailer frame. The installation is usually less than an hour with basic hand tools.

How big a jockey wheel does a 7x14 enclosed trailer need?

A 7x14 tandem axle enclosed trailer typically has 400 to 600 pounds of tongue weight. A jockey wheel rated for 1,000 pounds with an 8 to 10 inch pneumatic tire is the safe choice.

Should I leave the jockey wheel down while towing?

Never. Always wind it all the way up and lock the swivel pin in the stow position before driving. A jockey wheel left down can catch on a curb, snag on a railroad crossing, or rip free at speed.

Pneumatic or solid rubber for an enclosed trailer rental?

For a rental that gets used hard on mixed surfaces, pneumatic wins on rolling resistance and shock absorption. Carry a small 12 volt inflator and check the pressure at every turnaround.

Related Articles

• Cargo Trailer Rental: Top Electric Jack
• Enclosed Trailer Rental Hitch Guide
• Complete Guide to Tiedowns for Securing Cargo in an Enclosed Trailer
• Cargo Trailer Rental: Adjustable Hitches

Content updated April 2026.