Transporting freight with heavy haul trucking companies

Moving oversized or wide load cargo usually requires the help of heavy haul trucking. Various industries rely on them for the transportation of machinery and equipment. Some of the industries that require the services of heavy haul trucking companies’ are- petrochemical industries, power plants, engineering, and construction projects. Overweight freight which is difficult to move using conventional means is transported with the help of these specialist services.

The different types of trailers that are used for this heavy transport include-

• Flatbeds
• Step decks
• Double drops
• Removable gooseneck
• Stretch
• Multiple axle trailers

All of these trailers of varying capacities are present with heavy haul trucking companies that can help you in moving shipments of any weight and dimensions. These companies help in figuring out and planning a short route, creating contingencies and making sure that no harm comes to your shipment during the transport.

Items that require heavy hauling-

Some heavyweight items cannot fit onto regular trailers owing to their large weight or exceeding dimensions. A few examples of material that requires heavy haul trucking include:

• Mining Equipment- Rock drills, crushers, excavators and earthmovers, etc.
• Heavy industrial machinery- Turbines, generators, boilers, transformers, compressors etc.
• Farming equipment- Tractors, irrigators, balers, combines, pickers, cultivators, livestock trailers etc.
• Locomotives- Trucks, cars, buses, RVs, airplanes, boats, mobile homes, etc.
• Port equipment- cranes, heavy lifts, loaders, containers, etc.

If you wish to move any of these items, hiring efficient heavy haul trucking companies with well-trained staff is the right way to go.

Features to look for in a good trucking company-

• Reliability- Before you hire a heavy haul trucking company, the first thing you need to ensure is the training level of their staff and the type of equipment they have. A well-trained staff understands how to properly handle such large freight without damaging it during the loading, transportation or unloading.
• Time-bound- You also need to go for a company that has the ability to meet deadlines.
• Logistic services- A strong logistic team is essential for a smooth and hassle-free movement of your shipment. Figuring out the most convenient route is the most important logistic service provided by these companies.
• Insurance cover- All heavy haul trucking companies provide insurance in case of an accident. You should find more about the cover that they are offering before hiring them.
• Necessary permits- Transportation of such oversized goods is not possible without having the right permits and licenses. Before you hire a heavy hauler, find out if it is legally permissible for them to carry the weight of your goods.

Heavy haul transport can be made easy with the help of an efficient trucking company. Look for a service that has a good transportation management system in place. Some companies also provide access to the real-time location of your shipment through their customer portals.

4 Things to Check before Hiring a Flatbed Heavy Driver

 When hiring a heavy haul vehicle or a flatbed truck contractor, we usually consider factors such as the pricing, delivery charges, freight value, type of broker, etc. in the first place; be it for a personal or professional reason. You will even look for agencies nearby your location by searching for “flatbed shipping companies near me”. But then, we must also have a proper understanding of the skills and expertise of the driver. You cannot risk your product or equipment to a person, that is, the flatbed driver, who has a record for some road concerns or accidents. Thus, keeping in mind the stated, let us learn a few essential values on what to expect from a flatbed driver. 

Expertise and Skills of a Flatbed Heavy Vehicle Driver

• Vast On-Field Experience:

Considering the part of the job background, a driver who holds at least 3 years of hands-on-experience should be picked. The catch here is your hiring agency must have more number of experience on-field. So that the driver might be expected for 3 or more job experience. For better security in the commute, you may choose a driver who has experience particularly driving a flatbed heavy haul, besides driving trucks or removable gooseneck trailers. 

• In-depth Technical Knowledge: 

Driving a flatbed with any equipment or machine is not limited to just road and safety awareness. The driver must be highly knowledgeable about the technical aspects of shipment, loading, deployment, along with general on-road transportation. This ensures that your product or machine is safely loaded from one place to another. Knowledge and learning on the technical aspects of flatbed driving not only help with safe and secured travel but also comes handy for unavoidable emergency purposes. 

• Bilingual Personality:

In the perspective of personality, a driver, in general, is expected to have steadiness, a strong presence of mind, keen attention to detail, and the like. When narrowing these factors to a heavy haul or flatbed driver, one must also expect fundamental language skills. Besides English and their native language, the driver should be communicable in any other state language. This point is given utmost importance when it comes to loading and deploying objects or pieces of machinery from one state to another within a country. So, prioritize a driver who is already a bilingual (polyglot) person. 

• Examinations and Tests:

Though this point might not be directly checked from a driver by yourself, you can always ask for the person’s authenticity from the company/broker. Flatbed drivers must pass drug screening tests, attention deficit examinations, and other agency-specific D.O.T. physical tests. Adding to the said, you should cross-check if the Commercial Driver’s License, Class A, is valid and updated from official bodies. By doing so, you can be assured of the reliability and authenticity of your flatbed driver. 

Whether you are hiring a flatbed driver from another state or browsing “flatbed shipping companies near me” online, get industry experts by evaluating other factors including Punctuality, Spatial knowledge, and bodily fitness. 

3 Major Safety Pointers on Heavy Equipment Transport

Shipping goods and products from one place to another is not as simple as said. Heavy equipment transport vehicles, regardless of how the freight value and content must get prepared for a smooth and safe journey. Forms shipment to deploying, every step matters and is crucial to the safety of the goods and the humans.

                                         

When it comes to hauling and shifting heavy equipment pieces and machinery, there are a few things to attend to, before starting the technical procedures. There is no room for error within heavy haul trucking or equipment transport. So, here are the three main precautions one can initiate before getting ready for heavy equipment transportation.

 

Things to Know Before Preparing Heavy Equipment Transportation

 

1.     Covering the Vulnerable Parts:

 

There might be a case where your product does not want to get revealed during the commute. For such instances, you simply cover those private sections of the machine. However, a majority of the cases require you to mandatory close the parts of equipment. It means you should wrap all the vulnerable components and sections of your product of shipment before starting the procedures. 

 

As a tip, make sure to cover the lines and tanks of a product during the wintertime. In summer, you should protect the entire piece of object or machinery from overheating. By doing these, your product remains undamaged.

 

2.     Cleaning the Trailers:

 

Give equal importance to the shipping product and the heavy equipment vehicle. Saying this, get the trailer and ramp areas of the truck clean and tidy, before getting things into it. Sometimes, even tiny dust particles and debris or leaves can hamper the overall quality of your machine. Hence, prevent such circumstances by wiping off greasy areas, dusting rocks and sand, and lubricating the parts thoroughly prior use.

 

When the transition of your product/machine/equipment from the ground to the vehicle is safe, then other aspects of the shipment could be taken care of in a much better way.

 

3.     Reading the User Manuals:

 

Besides the learning part of knowing your machine’s freight value, height, weight, and other physical dimensions, reading the user and instruction manual ensures a safer journey. The manual includes anything from specific rules on tying pieces together to preparing the heavy-duty truck or vehicle to load the equipment into the ramp. All these details and more are essential information on how to transport, load, and deploy the machinery safely to the destination.

 

Remember that even though some machines are similar in their features and characteristics (or even purpose), manuals differ. So, ensure that you glance through the demographics of the object of transport.

 

Conclusion

 

Let’s quickly recollect the three main safety aspects of using heavy equipment transport;

 

●     Protect your equipment from dust, rain, snow, or sunshine by covering the vulnerable parts.

 

●     Clean the ramp and trailer of the vehicle before loading the object in the lorry or truck. Lubrication is also essential.

 

●     Read the instruction manuals or user guides properly before shipment.