Best Way to Transport Heavy Equipment

Individuals and companies can move their heavy equipment by rail or truck across the U.S. A full 72.5 percent of all freight, including heavy equipment, is transported by truck. Shipping equipment to its destination by truck is the most cost-effective route, primarily due to the number of trailer options and services available.

Multiple Trailers

Heavy haul companies have a variety of highly specialized trailers available that makes transporting any type of heavy equipment easier. Models are available that allow equipment to be loaded from multiple directions and enables track or wheeled vehicles to be driven on the trailer. Low profile trailers allow transport of equipment that would otherwise not meet height requirements for overland movement. The trailers are specially designed to handle the weight of heavy equipment.

Dismantling Services

A heavy haul company also provides dismantling of machinery to separate attachments ranging from booms to plows is available. The service allows attachments to be hauled on the same trailer as the equipment to facilitate transport.

Logistics and Tracking

Heavy haul companies offer advanced logistics to map the best route for transport, enabling equipment to arrive safely and on time, whether its being shipped cross country or being delivered to a dock for shipping abroad. The company obtains all relevant permits and provides tracking. Clients know exactly where their property is throughout every leg of its journey. The companies are also cognizant of the different laws and requirements each state maintains regarding heavy hauls.

Specialized Needs

The height, width, weight and length of the machinery may require the use of lights, signage or escort vehicles. A heavy haul trucking company provides all of these whenever they’re needed.

Reduced Risk

There are many components associated with transporting heavy equipment and they must work in harmony. A heavy haul trucking company takes care of every element to reduce and minimize risk for clients.

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Heavy Equipment Transport Best Practices

Transporting heavy equipment requires an elevated level of expertise, experience, an eye for detail, and a commitment to safety. It’s a highly complex process and equipment must conform to very specific weight, height, width, and length requirements that’s not uniform across all states. Equipment transport also requires the use of specialized trailers. North American Heavy Haul pioneered many of the best practices that are now standard procedure within the industry. The following are just a few of the best practices that are employed for equipment transport.

Remove Dirt and Debris

Prior to loading, equipment must be clean and free of dirt or debris that could come off during transport.

Placement

It’s critical that equipment be loaded so weight is distributed evenly.

Load Securement

Every load must be secured prior to beginning its journey. Chains are the preferred method. Refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations whenever possible for securement points. Secure any articulation points. Loads should be checked periodically throughout the transport to ensure there’s been no movement or tampering.

Wheel Bracing

Make sure all wheeled of the equipment are chocked, cradled or wedged to prevent movement.

Lower Moveable Parts

If the equipment has attachments such as booms, arms or plows, make sure they’re completely lowered and secured to the trailer. If they’ve been removed from the equipment, they must be secured separately.

Load Dimensions

Ensure that all width, height, length and weights are within the appropriate parameters.

Warning Equipment

Ensure that any requirement such as warning lights, special signage, escort vehicles, and permits are all in place.

Safety is the Key

Precautionary measures and adhering to accepted standards are the keys to keeping equipment, personnel and other motorists safe. It’s just one of the reasons that North American Heavy Haul has earned a reputation for excellence among customers and peers within the industry.

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Transporting heavy equipment is a highly complex process. It’s made more difficult as there are no uniform rules and requirements across all states. Regulations often change from county to county within the same state The specialists at North American Heavy Haul are cognizant of the regulations across the U.S. and beyond that governs heavy haul loads. The company also innovated many of the safety standards that are best practice within the industry.

High Demand

Construction equipment is one of the most often transported of heavy haul loads. Construction equipment encompasses an extensive variety of machines for building new structures to creating infrastructure. It includes dump trucks, bulldozers and trenchers to cranes, asphalt pavers and road graders.

Cross County or Foreign Country

North American Heavy Haul provides transportation for equipment anywhere within the U.S. The company transports to Canada and Mexico, along with docks for shipping abroad. The advanced logistics and tracking provided by the company ensures timely and cost-effective transport and delivery. Arrangements for shipping containers are available when needed for aboard a ship or if part of the equipment’s journey is by rail.

Routes and Permits

There are many roads that can lead to the same destination, but they’re not all equal. The professionals at North American Heavy Haul map out the best route for each individual load, mindful of any bridges, underpasses and road construction that could cause disruptions or delays.

Every equipment delivery will require permits, some of which will be digital. The specialists are knowledgeable about all applicable permits and obtains them to ensure a smooth transport whether locally or across country boundaries.

Smart Decision

For the safest transport of multiple types of equipment, it makes good financial sense to schedule with a leader in the industry. North American Heavy Haul has the experienced drivers, technological systems, and specialized trailers to ensure loads arrive at their destination on time, every time.
 

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The owners of large vessels know the dangers of trying to pilot their craft from either coast of the U.S. or destinations abroad. Storms, high seas, unpredictable weather, and dangerous docks are just some of the pitfalls that can damage even a large ship. For those and many other reasons, boat owners choose North American Heavy Haul to transport their vessels.

A Reputation for Excellence

The company is well-known for its experience and expertise in boat transports. The company can move large vessels from dry dock to a slip, across the nation, to Canada or Mexico, or to docks for transport by ocean going ships.

Gentle Handling and Advanced Technology

Advanced logistics, tracking, knowledge of permits, and highly-trained professional boat handlers ensure watercraft arrives at its destination safely and on time. The company can also arrange for a shipping container, escort vehicles, lights and signage when applicable.

Specialized Trailers and Disassembly Services

Any destination is possible with North American Heavy Haul. The experts in maritime transport have the specialized trailers to accommodate a wide variety of vessels. If a watercraft has its own trailer, it can typically be left on the trailer and the entire assembly loaded onto one of the company’s specialized heavy haul trailers for transport. There are very specific height limits for heavy hauls and vessels can often exceed requirements. The professionals can remove masts, towers and bridges prior to transport to ensure the entire load conforms to regulations.

Cost Effective Movement

It doesn’t matter where on the planet a boat is bound; it will eventually need to be transported overland during its journey. North American Heavy Haul is the most cost-effective way to transport a boat of any size.

An Innovative Force in the Industry

North American Heavy Haul pioneered many of the techniques that have become standard practice within the heavy haul industry. Safety is always a prime consideration. The company’s team of expert boat haulers treat each vessel as if it were their own.

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While the vast majority of payloads arrive safely and securely, smart shippers always carry insurance on their cargo, whether it’s being transported in a shipping container by truck, train, ship, or a combination of the three.

Unfortunately, many individuals have termed it “grudge insurance,” since they grudgingly purchase the protection. Without insurance, you’ll be left with a huge loss and no recompense if a disaster or accident occurs.

Potential Problems

Cargo containers are transported on trucks, by rail, and on ocean-going vessels. One of the reasons for using a shipping container is to protect the payload from damage due to weather considerations encompassing rain, hail, ice, and snow, to salt spray on ships. There are also natural disasters and phenomena over which there’s no control such as dense fog, tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires, earthquakes, flooding and volcanic activity, along with sinkholes, landslides and avalanches.

Manmade Interruptions

That doesn’t even delve into infrastructure decline that can result in a crumbling dam, along with a collapsed bridge or overpass. When being transported by rail, train cars can be derailed due to defective equipment. In high seas, containers can be swept overboard. Loss due to theft can occur and shipping containers do become lost, even with technological tracking advances.

While all of those situations are rare, they represent very real situations against which shippers must be prepared by properly insuring their cargo.

Outside Influences

Cargo is subject to a variety of natural forces ranging from friction and gravity to vibrational influences and centrifugal force due to sudden starts, stops and turns. When at sea, a ship can move in 6 different directions, which significantly affects cargo containers. All that’s required is one defective tie down to cause a container disaster during any mode of transport. Insurance is an essential protection for anything being transported in a cargo container.

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The differences and advantages in one trailer over another may not be immediately discernable to the inexperienced. A professional heavy haul company is able to select the best trailer for the job based on the cargo to be transported. Trailers are specifically designed for certain types of transport requirements that exceed designated weight, width, height and length standards.

Heavy haulers routinely transport items ranging from mining equipment, agricultural machinery and boats to military vehicles, fire trucks and SWAT vehicles.

Flatbed

They’re versatile, with open sides, back and front. They can be loaded from multiple directions and are appropriate for items that aren’t affected by precipitation, though the cargo can be tarped when needed.

Step Deck

They have two deck levels and accommodate equipment such as cranes. The trailers have ramps for easy loading. Similar to a double drop deck trailer, they have an upper and lower deck where the freight sets. The upper level can be used for detachable accessories such as plows.

Stretch Single Drop & Double Drop Deck

Commonly known as a lowboy, a drop deck is a multi-level trailer with the center built lower than the front and back end, allowing cargo to ride lower to the ground. Some of its many uses is to transport tall items such as boats, farm equipment, and earth moving machines. Extendable drop deck trailers accommodate extra-long loads. The stretchable beds can be extended to carry items such as pipes and lumber.

Removable Gooseneck (RGNs)

Designed to carry long and tall loads, the front is detachable and the bottom portion can be lowered to create a ramp for loading wheeled and track vehicles. The vehicles can be driven onto the trailer and they’re offered in standard and extendable options.

Dual-Lane

They’re giants of the highway, equipped to haul particularly heavy or long loads. They’re routinely used to transport turbines, transformers, generators, industrial equipment, and can be adapted to perfectly fit the payload.

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Passenger vehicles have to share the road with heavy haulers and that situation can be doubly dangerous when construction work is being performed. The summer months are the prime time for road and bridge construction projects and drivers need to exercise an elevated level of caution during that time.

Increased Traffic

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), July through Sept. are the deadliest months for traffic accidents. During the summer months, there’s a significant increase in traffic on all roadways. Summer is also the busiest season for heavy haul drivers.

Tourists from around the globe flock to the state for the South Florida climate, vacations, entertainments, and sport fishing. Crops are harvested and shipped, adding to road congestion. There’s a legion of new teen drivers, distracted motorists, motorcyclists and mopeds, and those that are driving impaired.

Construction

When combined with road construction projects, the increased traffic significantly increases driving risks. Depending on the road being traveled, there will be slow downs, detours, reduced speed zones, and traffic may even come to a complete halt temporarily. Drivers need to exercise caution and patience.

Weather Conditions

South Florida residents are accustomed to the state’s weather changes and challenges. Visitors to the state are not and teen drivers often overestimate their abilities. Storms and thunderstorms can develop quickly with winds and driving rain that make roadways slippery and reduces visibility.

Safety Tips

With all the added activity, officials offer the following safety tips to help reduce the number of accidents and keep everyone safe.

• Be hyper-vigilant in construction zones. Conditions can change quickly.
• Don’t tailgate – it’s one of the most common factors in crashes in construction zones.
• Speed limits for construction zones are posted for the safety of drivers and construction workers. Workers on secondary roads holding a slow/stop sign for directing traffic are also helping keep people safe. Be aware that hitting a construction worker will earn drivers a double fine and a prison sentence if they’re killed.
• Motorists should stay in the designated lane when traffic is routed to a single lane. Changing and jumping lanes should be avoided and drivers should merge as soon as possible.
• Minimize distractions from phones, radios and passengers.

The answer is a resounding no. Construction equipment and farm machinery require highly
specialized trailers for safe transport. There are dozens of digital documentation and paper
permits needed, depending on the load’s destination. Each state – and even county – has their
own set of safety equipment that drivers must have. Special signage and escort vehicles may be
required and travel may be limited to certain hours of the day.
Highly Complex
Transporting a heavy haul load is far more complicated and complex than it seems. Professional
heavy haul companies make it appear easy due to their experience and the safety precautions
that are employed. The tractor-trailer pairings are designed to accommodate the weight of
heavy hauls, without exceeding legal load limits. Equipment and machinery can easily weigh 20
tons and more.
Risky Business
Individuals that think they can haul such heavy and expensive equipment themselves are
putting their investment, themselves, and other motorists on the road at risk. One misstep can
end in serious injuries and even fatalities. It takes longer to slow down and stop when hauling
heavy equipment. Drivers must make wider turns, and there’s no way to know when an
overpass is too low for the load to safely pass under.
Different Rules
There are very specific rules governing the height, width, length and weight of a heavy haul, the
trailer upon which its transported, and safety equipment drivers are required to carry. Those
specs change from state to state – and even among different counties. A mountain of physical
paperwork and digital approvals are required. A heavy haul becomes even more complicated if
its bound for another country or onboard a ship for overseas delivery.
Best Solution
Hiring the services of an experienced heavy haul company is the best and safest solution when
individuals have equipment or machinery to move. The company knows all the pertinent rules,
employs advanced logistics and tracking, and safety is always a primary priority.

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The first step in transporting an oversized load is contacting a heavy haul company. The
professionals have the equipment, knowledge and experience to transport a variety of
equipment, machinery and unique loads safety and on time. Sophisticated logistics are utilized
to track the load at every stage of its journey. Before engaging the services of a heavy haul
company, there are some things to consider.
Licensing
Before working with any heavy haul company, ensure they’re licensed to perform the task for
which they’re being hired. They must also be insured. It provides you with legal recourse if
something goes awry.
Time of Year
Like any industry, there are some times of the year that are busier than others. That means
rates will be more expensive and there may not be a tractor-trailer combination appropriate for
the load. Whenever possible, schedule your heavy haul project for the off season.
Destination
The destination of your load is important and will affect the timeline of the delivery. Drivers can
encounter a wide range of weather conditions ranging from torrential rain to blizzards that can
close roads. Wildfires are another hazard. When shipping overseas, oceanic conditions are
another concern.
Permits
A mountain of physical paperwork and digital documents are required. The volume increases if
your load is leaving South Florida to cross county and state lines, along with national borders.
Each state has its own unique list of permissions. A professional trucking company is familiar
with the permits needed and special requirements for things as simple as emergency
equipment mandated by each state.
Shipping and Pickup
Working with a licensed and insured heavy haul company has a variety of benefits. One of those
is being able to arrange for an appropriate vessel if shipping abroad. Depending on what’s being
delivered, they can also arrange for a shipping container to protect your cargo from ocean salt
water and spray. Transportation can also be arranged at the freight’s destination.

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The trailers used for hauling construction equipment are highly specialized to accommodate the various sizes, shapes and weights involved. Having the right trailer for the cargo is essential to ensure the safe delivery of the load and other motorists on the road. Generally, the higher the profile and weight of the equipment, the more specialized the trailer requirements. The range of construction equipment is extensive and includes excavators, backhoes and pavers to trucks, loaders and track machines.

Construction Equipment Trailers

Hotshot

These trailers are used for smaller loads that are less than an entire truckload and when the cargo is time sensitive. They often have gooseneck hookups and are available in styles encompassing multi-level and low boy designs.

Step-Deck

A type of flatbed trailer, a step-deck has two levels. The upper deck is typically used for hauling detachable accessories such as plows and buckets. They’re often utilized to transport equipment such as cranes or bulldozers that won’t fit on a standard flatbed. They have built-in ramps to provide versatility and easy loading of the cargo. The trailers are also available in single stretch and double stretch configurations.

RGN

A removable gooseneck trailer (RGN) is used to transport freight with dimensions that are tall or long. The front portion is detachable, while the bottom can be lowered.to create a ramp for loading. Cargo can be driven, pushed or rolled onto the trailer.

Double Drop

Double drop trailers are sometimes called a lowboy. The deck dips in the middle to accommodate high profile equipment and bring taller equipment lower to the ground. The trailers are often used to transport different types of earth moving equipment. Cargo can be loaded from the back or sides. They’re available in fixed neck, fixed gooseneck and removable gooseneck to accommodate different deck lengths and weights. They have drop ramps for easy cargo loading and are available in extended configurations.

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