Shipping heavy equipment incorrectly may be dangerous. Follow these suggestions to prepare your heavy equipment for shipment in order to transfer construction, agricultural, manufacturing, and other types of heavy equipment effectively. These suggestions will keep your equipment safe during shipment and save you money on the extra expenses connected with transporting heavy equipment.
#1. Stay away from wide-load designations.
Crawler dozers, wheel loaders, motor graders, and scrapers may be categorized as a wide load in your state or municipality, requiring you to pay a hauling business more and get additional permits. This may be avoided by transporting your equipment carefully.
Height. Consider retracting or removing a large or tall boom or bucket while transporting a crane, excavator, or any other piece of equipment. This could be enough to keep the load from being classified as large. Sometimes to avoid wide-load classification, it’s best to send two shipments separately.
Weight. Depending on the state, any weight above 40,000 pounds is considered an oversize load. Taking off attachments from the equipment and carrying them separately can help you save weight and money.
Width. It isn’t much you can do if the item is excessively wide owing to the tracks or body. It is not worthwhile to remove the tracks. If your machinery has tires, removing them may lower the weight and make it narrower, allowing you to avoid the wide-load classification.
Length. Most states allow a load of 53 feet in length, which is more than enough for most construction equipment that can be hauled with a typical tractor-trailer.
When you can’t avoid an oversize or wide-load classification, just remember to budget extra money for the additional permits. Also needed are safety flags, lights and signs, and maybe an escort truck or two, depending on where your shipment is heading. Consult with your shipping company.
#2. Get your heavy equipment ready.
Things like strapping down the load and securely securing it can be handled by a heavy-equipment transportation service. However, it is not responsible for preparing the equipment for the relocation. This must be handled by the client to ensure that no equipment is harmed during the relocation.
Specific instructions for prepping the equipment for shipping may be found in the owner’s handbook or service manual. Special measures, such as immobilizing the excavator arm or other moving elements, may be necessary.
These recommendations will help you prepare for pickup and guarantee that your equipment is in good condition and ready to move when your transportation service arrives:
These suggestions will assist you in preparing for pickup and ensuring that your equipment is in good condition and ready to move when your shipping company arrives.
#3. Transportation logistics
Do you want one of your own drivers to upload the equipment onto the trailer and secure it, or will you delegate this responsibility to the transportation company? Do you have adequate space on your job site to load your equipment? Have you secured all of the necessary permits, or has your logistics provider?
Before setting the pickup time, work out the difficulties of the equipment pickup. Otherwise, the shipping company may levy additional costs and fees for being late.
#4. Select a competent transportation company.
Keep an eye out for the following:
