Moving heavy equipment is not a simple task and requires a lot of planning. Whether it is moving industrial equipment, construction equipment, or farm equipment, the principles of moving such heavy machinery require precision to enable efficiency, safety, and adherence to legal requirements.
Due to regulations by FMCSA, weight limitations, and specific securement regulations, a business has to meet many compliance requirements while still being effective. Below, we will give you the information you require if you plan to transport heavy equipment to the United States. After seeing the details of the transportation of this sensitive cargo, you will see the work that goes into transporting heavy equipment safely and at a reasonable cost.
What Classifies as Heavy Equipment?
Heavy equipment can perform tasks that would be difficult or time-consuming for humans or other small and lightweight equipment to accomplish. Below are some examples of the various types of heavy machinery and their uses on the construction site.
Skid Steer Loaders
This piece of equipment is versatile for construction sites since it is a small vehicle. It is also important to note that loaders, including logs, rocks, and garbage, can handle all these. Most skid steer loaders are versatile attachments that can be operated with several attachments. Some of the uses of skid steer are in excavation, demolition, and construction of roads.
Wheel Tractor-Scrapers
One of the ways you can clear the dirt in your project site is by employing the services of a wheel tractor-scraper. This equipment will also be used to collect the loose material that is produced in the process through a conveyor belt. The earth can be moved to any other location of your job site. In cases where there is a need to level the ground, there is always the wheel tractor scraper.
Cranes
Cranes are available in small sizes that can fit into a human palm or even be used for those as big as a building. This equipment is useful in lifting bulky or other related working equipment from one place on the construction site to the other. A crane’s boom can be of a fixed type or, otherwise, can be of the telescopic type.
Excavators
An excavator is another type of versatile equipment used on construction sites. Available in different capacities, they can be either wheeled or tracked. Even though bucket attachments are often associated with excavators, the attachment can be used with other types of machinery. There are many types of excavator applications, including snow clearing, gardening, and digging.
Other heavy machines include the bulldozer, grader, backhoe, scraper, paver, trenchers, drills, forklift, and side loader.
Best Practices for Heavy Equipment Transportation
Image source: Pixabay
Choose the Right Transport Vehicle
In any process, one has to consider choosing the right transport vehicle that will be cost-effective and safe. Various options are possible depending on the type of machine transport, its weight, and size. Multi-axle, lowboy, and flatbed trailers are the most common transport vehicles used in shipping machinery. Each, depending on the needs of the apparatus, provides several advantages.
A lowboy trailer could be the best for conveying huge machinery since it is easy to load and unload and does not pose any challenges regarding road height limits. Whenever some breakdowns or movements are unexpected, engaging a tow truck in Brisbane can quickly assist in removing machinery.
Some trailers are designed to be modular or extendable to allow for additional length, especially for lengthy machines or ones with irregular shapes. These trailers can be expanded or set up to distribute or manage weight and oversized loads.
Ensure Safety and Risk Management
The transportation of heavy machinery is also associated with safety risks since large pieces of equipment are hazardous to the operators, other people on the road, and the machinery itself. If it is poorly secured, the load may move during transportation, leading to accidents or machinery damage.
First of all, check that the machinery is appropriately restrained and attached to the transport vehicle using strong chains, straps, or other similar equipment designed for this purpose and that it can withstand the weight of the machinery. This should be done to avoid overloading one part of the transport vehicle, as this may lead to tipping, increased wear of the car, and making driving unsafe.
Consider some other adverse effects that can be attributed to the weather in the same way as physical hazards. Weather conditions such as rain, snow, or strong winds may affect the safety of the transport, especially when the transport is to be carried over a long distance. This is very important in case of bad weather or mechanical problems that may arise during the journey.
Legal and Safety Considerations
Find out the permits that are required for your transport. Special licenses for the operation of enormous loads may be necessary based on the size and location of the equipment. They are imperative since they help one to avoid the law and the resulting penalties or delayed projects.
Get to know the weight restrictions and specific routes or bridges that cannot be crossed. This may have severe implications and even possible danger of an accident in case of overloading a car or going beyond the load-carrying capacity. These problems can, however, be averted by preparing the routes in advance.
Route plan
To make transportation safe, a particular route must be selected, which must be done in advance. One way to avoid traffic threatening drivers and equipment is to prevent areas most drivers commonly use. Furthermore, the client has to provide information on the location of the equipment and ensure that any health issues related to the equipment have been addressed before accessing a pickup or drop-off location.
In this way, you will be able to ensure that everyone knows what will be relocated and any possible dangers in getting to the pickup or drop-off point. Also, when picking up the equipment, the route should be considered because there may be some restrictions on the vehicle’s weight, size, breadth, and height, which are allowed by municipal laws.
Transporting heavy machinery is not easy and requires a lot of planning, strict adherence to safety measures, and the cost factor. Therefore, businesses must be aware of the factors mentioned above to ensure that their valuable machinery is transported safely and efficiently.
Heavy equipment moving entails proper planning, communication, and legal compliance irrespective of the transport method used: air, sea, rail, lowboy trailers, or flatbeds.
Main Image: Pixabay
