All About Heavy Equipment and Oversized Hauling

Whenever you’re preparing for oversized or heavy equipment hauling in Aurora, CO, you need to make sure you have thoroughly planned out every aspect of your cargo’s journey for it to be both safe and successful. Here are a few tips that will make sure your load travels and arrives safely:

  • Engage in thorough preparation: You must thoroughly prepare for the move before beginning to load the equipment. Make sure you have a shipping company and driver you can trust, and that the vehicles have undergone their safety checks. Plan out the stops you want the driver to take along the way to ensure his or her safety. Carefully consider the routes you will take and any potential difficulties that may arise on a particular stretch of highway.
  • Use the correct trailer: Make sure you have a trailer that is appropriate for the job at hand. There is a wide variety of trailer and axle configurations, and it’s important for you to clearly understand the factors at play with heavy hauling services and over-dimensional shipping to make sure you have the right trailer for your needs. You should use one of the following types:
    • Lowboy trailer: A type of low-bed trailer with two height drops in the deck that sits close to the ground.
    • Drop deck trailer: A trailer that has a single drop in the deck height. The top part of the deck sits on top of the back of the tractor unit.
    • Flatbed trailer: An open trailer that does not have any walls, roof or rails.
    • Gooseneck trailer: A trailer that attaches to the hauling unit with a permanent adjustable bar that also attaches to the bed.
    • Extendable drop deck trailer: A trailer with the same general design as a drop deck that has an extendable body for especially long loads.
  • Make sure you secure the load: The load should be properly secured with its weight distributed as evenly as possible on the trailer before it heads away from the shipping site. Securing heavy or oversized loads requires the oversight of skilled experts.
  • Use only drivers who are skilled in oversized or heavy loads: Drivers who will transport oversized or heavy loads should have special training in handling those types of loads safely, as the weight and size will certainly affect the operation of the vehicle.
  • Get the necessary permits: Give yourself plenty of time to secure permits for the transportation. Any type of equipment that is more than 102 inches wide requires oversized trucking permits before it can legally be transported on state highways.
  • Know the regulations: There are certain regulatory requirements unique to each state about oversized and heavy loads. If the weight is more than 10,000 pounds, federal regulations will also apply if you are traveling across state lines.

These are just a few tips that will help you get the most out of your oversized and heavy equipment hauling in Aurora, CO. For more information, contact the experts at Osage Specialized Transport today.