Shipper Zone

Preparing your Construction Equipment for Transport

September 9, 2021

Before you can begin preparing your construction equipment for transport, it is essential to select the type of trailer on which it will ride, we can help! With our one of a kind software we can recommend what trailer type works best, just by you entering your equipment make and model.

Trailer Load Preparing your construction equipment for transport requires careful consideration before choosing what type of trailer that they will be transported on. The cost difference of shipping often means removing parts or rearranging them into lesser space depending on their size; these changes usually require more time than just loading up a truck bed and strapping down items. This can largely depend upon height as flatbeds are about five feet off the ground and most states allow 13 ½ ft clearance with 8-10ft needed by an average piece of heavy machinery, that leaves you with 8 ½ feet or so in height for your equipment, a little more in some states. Step deck trailers, which have middle sections that ride lower to the ground, offer maybe another two feet in clearance.

GET A FREIGHT QUOTE

If your load is too tall to transport using a step deck trailer, you can opt for the lowboy option by swapping out trailers. You gain more clearance with this trade-off, but it does come at an expense: Lowboys are typically pricier than their higher counterparts so only make the change if needed and be sure to position any booms before retracting them otherwise they could affect height or length when transporting. Once you know which type of trailer you’re using, you can begin preparing your construction equipment for transport. Position any booms properly, retracting them so they don’t affect height or length. Remove attachments that might make you oversized. In some states, it’s illegal to ship your equipment with a bucket or scoop attached. We can help you know how to prepare your load for transport.

Preparing your construction equipment for transport

The rules around transporting construction equipment seem straightforward: get permits from state agencies and conform with any guidelines put in place by them (or at least find out what these requirements might entail). But there is one important detail builders often forget about when specifying size restrictions for new buildings; most vehicles should fit standard highway widths.

Tips for avoiding wide load designation include:

Over-height: Retract, or even remove the boom or bucket. Sometimes it’s worth another load to avoid wideload designation.
Overweight: Shipping body separate from attachments reduces weight and can be over 40,000 pounds without risk of being designated as a “wideload”. You may also try removing the tracks if you are going to make your machine too long in length anyways; most states give more than enough room at 53 feet (longer is not typically an issue).

Most truck drivers avoid the potential dangers of a wide load designation at all costs. A wideload charge is usually double or triple what you would pay for an average size shipment, and if your vehicle doesn’t fit within weight restrictions it could be much more expensive depending on how large your cargo may be. If you’re not sure about whether to take out some items before traveling with them in order to comply with dimensional regulations, don’t worry – tearing apart parts of your trailer should never cause any major damage that couldn’t easily be repaired by professionals after delivery!

When preparing your construction equipment for transport, it is important to have a sense of the various parts that could be damaged or broken off. Look through your equipment owner’s manual and notice anything you should wrap with bubble wrap before packing up! Things like levers, knobs, gauges are all very fragile during shipping so make sure they get wrapped in protective material before putting them into boxes.

Do you want the driver to drive your equipment onto the trailer? Most drivers know how to operate construction equipment. They make their living hauling heavy machinery and making sure it is secure while driving for miles on end. You must have faith in these professionals who are so skilled at what they do, because he or she will be transporting this valuable piece of property from point A all the way over here to Point B! But if you’d feel better with one of your guys handling loading duties, don’t worry; just schedule accordingly as soon as possible.

Preparing your construction equipment for transport and prevent unexpected damage by following these simple steps:

Covering up a stack of machinery before it is moved will protect against dirt, dust or other debris that may enter through its smokestack. The best way to cover this securely is with sturdy tarpaulin material that can be sealed at every edge, but if you don’t have any on hand then old carpet could do in an emergency (but again ensure there are no gaps). It pays off well though as preventing unwanted matters from getting inside helps keep them clean when they arrive where they are going!

Disconnect batteries so machines start first go upon arrival rather than having warning signs
Latch the doors. Doors will flap in the wind if they’re not properly closed. If the door latch won’t work, zip tie the door shut.
Wash the machine. Dirt and debris can obscure handholds and tie-down points. If your equipment is traveling as an oversize load, you’ll need safety banners, lights and signs. Your transport provider should have all of this, but just double check to make sure.

Let VeriTread Help You!

VeriTread is your go to solution for shipping your freight. We can have your freight delivered to any destination in North America in a safe and timely manner. We are experts at handling paperwork, selecting the right trailers and drivers, and charting the most efficient routes.

GET A FREIGHT QUOTE

VeriTread makes it easy to get reliable freight quotes from the experts in equipment transport. VeriTread moves thousands of machines every year and can quickly generate a reliable quote on the go. Our extensive specs and dimensions database of 60,000+ items, ensures you spend less time researching and more time putting your equipment to work. The VeriTread Shipper quote process is the simplest way to transport your machines. Follow these easy steps and you will receive a quote in under one minute: