Anyone that’s ever embarked on a long road trip knows how monotonous driving can become after the first flush of excitement has cooled. It lowers a driver’s alertness level, slows reaction times, and leads to fatigue that causes accidents. This is why there are driving limits.

It’s known by many names ranging from monotonous driving syndrome and drowsy driving to highway hypnosis and white line fever. Individuals that fall victim to it often traverse great distances without any recollection of having traveled it.

Driving Limits

It’s just one of the reasons that driving limits have been mandated for every driver in the trucking industry. The regulations can be confusing, particularly for drivers new to the road. The rules are designed to keep drivers wide awake, alert and safer on the road. Tractor-trailer rigs require more time to stop and extra room to turn and switch lanes. Drivers must be completely alert to navigate and maneuver a heavy hauler.

Driving Hours

Truck drivers are allowed to drive a maximum of 11 hours each day after 10 consecutive hours of driving. Drivers must also take regular 30-minute breaks. After a typical run, they’re not allowed to drive past 14 consecutive hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.

The clock never stops ticking for truck drivers and that’s true even when they take a break. Drivers are required to take a 30-minute non-driving break if they’ve been driving for more than 8 cumulative hours. They must log 10 hours off during a 24-hour period. The key to many of the regulations is how many consecutive hours a driver has been behind the wheel.

The maximum time that drivers can be on the road is 14 hours per day and off duty time doesn’t extend the 14-hour limit. However, there are exceptions as with everything. The only time a driver can extend drive times are when he/she encounters adverse driving conditions that encompass ice and snow, heavy rain, and flooded roads.

Working the Week

Regulations also affect the number of hours a driver can work per week. Drivers can work a 60-hour week over 7-days or 70-hours over 8 days. Drivers can restart their work week after they’ve taken 45 or more consecutive hours off duty.

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The first step in the process is to hire a heavy haul company that has the specialized trailers, advances logistics and experience to ensure the load arrives safely and on time. The company will have the knowledge needed to determine if the cargo meets the specifications of an oversized load.

Oversized Loads

For transportation over roadways, any load over 8.5 ft. wide, 14.5 ft. high, and 48-53 ft. in length qualifies as an oversized load. However, when it comes to shipping loads overseas, any cargo that won’t fit into a 40 ft. or 45 ft. container is considered oversized.

There aren’t any parameters for weight, but there are limits on the amount of weight a specific piece of equipment can carry and countries can stipulate their own weight limits. Heavy haul companies are experienced and knowledgeable about the wide variety of regulations involved in oversized load shipping requirements. Shipping oversized loads overseas requires extensive knowledge and creative solutions. It also requires a multitude of permits and documentation.

In some instances, loads that are too large for a container can be broken down and dismantled for shipping in separate containers. If disassembly isn’t an option, there are flat racks, roll on roll off (RO/RO), lift on lift off (LO/LO, and breakbulk methods. Clients need to keep in mind that weight vs. measurements will affect the charges incurred.

Flat Racks – These are used for cargo that won’t fit into a standard sized container due to size or weight. Flat racks have no side walls, allowing part of the item being shipped to stick out the sides.

RO/RO – This method involves driving the cargo on the ship instead of being lifted aboard the vessel via crane. The equipment or machinery is then secured to the deck.

LO/LO – The ship’s on-board cranes are used to load and unload the cargo.

Breakbulk – A breakbulk ship is equipped with high-capacity equipment able to load and unload oversized loads. In some circumstances, barges may also be used to facilitate the loading.

No matter which method is utilized, a heavy haul company will be able to take care of all the necessary documentation and arrange for a suitable means of loading the cargo to speed it on its way.

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The cost of fuel for truckers has always had an impact on the price of goods to the consumer and it can almost seem to be a never-ending cycle of cost increases. Individuals typically think of fuel prices in terms of its impact on their wallet, but those higher costs also affect the price of fuel truckers need to deliver goods across the nation.

Trucker drivers are paying even more for their fuel per gallon than ordinary consumers. There are multiple reasons that the price of fuel can begin to climb, thereby affecting the cost of transporting products, many of which people don’t understand.

Fuel Prices

Supply and Demand

When demand for crude oil that’s refined into gas outpaces the supply, the cost of gas increases. Oil producers can produce as much or as little as they want and countries that purchase from them have no control over the price they must pay.

When any type of shortage occurs or there’s a disruption in the supply chain, inflation and higher prices follow. Fuel costs are just one of the commodities affected. When people were in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, demand was minimal and costs dropped to less than $1 per gallon. When demand returned, the cost went up.

Wall Street Investors

There are investors that seek their fortune in oil commodities. It’s the single most in-demand commodity in the world, which provides opportunities for supply and cost manipulation. Investors sometimes purchase large quantities of crude oil and withhold it from the market to create fewer supplies that will drive the cost up.

Volatile Markets

Wall Street doesn’t like what it calls volatile markets – when stockholders have the potential to lose value from their portfolios.  Inflation – too much demand for too few goods – is an example, as is geo-political conflict and supply chain issues. Volatility occurs anytime there’s unpredictability and sharp changes in prices.

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When individuals want to travel, they simply get in the car and go. That process is far more complicated for heavy haulers. There’s a myriad of systems that must be inspected before the load ever leaves for its destination. A CDL license is required to drive a tractor-trailer rig and individuals learn how to perform a pre-trip inspection during CDL school.

Pre-Trip Inspection

A pre-trip inspection is critical for safety of the driver, the load, and others on the road. The inspection is required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to ensure that everything is in safe operating condition. Infractions can result in fines or even having the truck immediately being pulled off the road if a driver is stopped by law enforcement or the Department of Transportation (DOT).

There are six levels of DOT inspections, with multiple systems to be inspected. Some items are checked weekly, while others are inspected daily. The following are just some of the basic inspection requirements as determined by the DOT.

Fluid levels

Leaks

Tires and rims

5^th wheel

Tractor and trailer brake connections

Clutch

Shock absorbers

Ball joints

Kingpins

Gauges

Parking brake

Steering

Lights and reflectors

Horn

Windshield wipers

Mirrors

Coupling devices

Emergency equipment

Heavy haul drivers will also need to ensure that the load is amply secured and no loose tools or items are left lying on the trailer. The inspections that heavy haul drivers must perform may seem excessive to the average motorist, but it’s all done for safety’s sake. The measures prevent accidents due to situations ranging from brake failure and tire blowouts to trailers that come uncoupled.

Some common mistakes that drivers make is not ensuring the cleanliness of the cab, failure to chock the wheels, and keeping seatbelts properly maintained. A persistent problem is having a missing lug nut, along with not having paperwork in order. All those things can land drivers in hot water with inspectors.

Time is money for a heavy haul driver and it’s understandable that they want to be on the road quickly. There are no hard and fast rules about the time it takes to perform a pre-trip inspection, but smart drivers take their time.

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When the average person refers to international travel, they typically mean hopping on a plane and journeying overseas. For truckers, that can mean physically crossing out of the U.S. into Canada or Mexico. It also encompasses international machinery transport to a shipping port.

International Machinery Transport

A great deal of machinery is transported every year to other countries and owners rely on heavy haulers to get their equipment to its destination safely and on time. That freight can encompass anything from mining machinery and construction equipment to harvesters for the agricultural industry. It can also include aircraft engines, helicopters, wind generators, and oil rigs.

Prepping the Load

The first step in any heavy haul load is preparing the item to be transported. That means ensuring the item is clean and that all fluids have been removed from the equipment. Batteries and alarms must be disconnected, doors must be securely shut, and any loose parts or tools must be secured before international machinery transport.

Preparing the load for transport may also include partial disassembly for overland transport to the machinery’s destination or to fit in the allotted space aboard ship. In some instances, equipment being shipped via cargo ship may be exposed to the elements and sea water, requiring it to have a protective coating.

Routing

A direct route from A to B isn’t necessarily the most cost effective, nor will it ensure that the shipment arrives at its intended destination on time. Port fees and shipping departures vary by location. Professional heavy haulers are cognizant of the best routes and ports to accommodate their clients’ international machinery transport.

Documentation

Transporting machinery internationally requires a mountain of documentation to pass through customs or get the freight loaded onboard a ship. There will be multiple documents required and they tend, for the most part, to contain the same information. However, each document plays a different role in the chain of transport. Missing even a single document will result in delays, extra costs, and the potential of not arriving on time.

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The trucking industry is facing a shortage of drivers and nowhere is that more evident than in the heavy haul industry. Heavy haul drivers are in extremely high demand due to their expertise in transporting heavy and bulky cargos – that can be worth millions of dollars – to their destination quickly, efficiently and safely.

Heavy Haul Drivers

Heavy haulers are specialists in transporting equipment, whether it’s from one state to another, to Canada or Mexico, or to ports for shipping overseas. Heavy haul drivers have an advanced level of expertise. One reason for the demand is that older drivers are retiring, while the need for heavy haul drivers is increasing. It’s estimated that approximately 1.1 million new drivers will need to be hired over the next 10 years within all areas of the trucking industry.

High Demand

From construction materials to high-end mining equipment, heavy haul companies are struggling to obtain the highly trained and experienced drivers they need. Failure to find those drivers is impacting deliveries now and the situation will only get worse as time goes on. A lack of heavy haul drivers has the potential to severely interrupt supply chains and the ability for companies to prosper.

Heavy haul drivers transport a wide diversity of items ranging from wind generator blades to submersibles and it’s a specialty service that requires an elevated level of safety, licensing and training to produce qualified drivers. Those drivers transport loads that exceed conventional width, height, length and weights using specially designed trailers.

Lifestyle

Being a heavy haul driver is also a lifestyle choice to which not everyone is suited, which further increases the demand for drivers. It requires a significant amount of time away from home. A substantial number of heavy haul drivers also opted to take traditional delivery truck positions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those actions and others resulted in a shortage of fully qualified heavy haul drivers to fill an increasing need.

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