Construction Heavy Equipment and Machinery Transport Services: Premium Haulers
In the construction industry, there are several types of equipment that haulers may need for machinery transport services. In no particular order, we mention:
- Cranes: Their framework is similar to a tower equipped with cables and pulleys. It is used to lift and lower objects. On construction sites, you’ll find cranes either on the ground or fixed on a truck. During construction, heavy machinery haulers, while shipping, are sometimes dismantled due to their size or to decrease the height.
- Bulldozers: Powerful machines that use a dozer blade to push earth and materials. Thanks to their size and dimensions, they can be operated at different levels with great mobility on the way, even in challenging terrains. The bulldozer’s wide tracks cause its weight to be distributed over a large area, keeping it from sinking into muddy or sandy terrains.
- Forklifts: Also known as forklift trucks, they’re used to lift and transport heavy materials and objects using their steel forks. They were created in the 1920s, and come in various types and load capabilities, the most typical of which is the counterbalance.
- Dump Trucks: Used to move gravel, dirt, sand, and other loose materials, dump trucks have an open boxed bed, operated with hydraulics. The back part of the bed is fixed to the truck while the box’s front part can be lifted to allow its contents to easily fall out.
- Excavators: Hydraulic excavators differ from other construction machinery in that their movement is caused by transferring hydraulic fluid. They are normally used in residential areas, where most construction projects require foundation digging.
Heavy equipment hauling cannot be done with the same trucks used in heavy equipment transport. They require specialized trailers, such as those mentioned below.
Low Height Large Machinery Hauling Decks
Machinery moving and hauling are usually done with detachable trailers because they are the lowest in height. This makes loading easier, especially for tall and/or large apparatus.
A low deck can relocate most construction gear. It keeps the machine’s gravity center close to the ground level and below most states’ height restrictions. Detachable double-drop lowboys can carry most machinery, thanks to their low-height loaded deck and low angle of loading. They are ideal for large-scale hauling that requires a low angle of approach or over-width apparatus.
Alternatively, the downside of such a deck is its small amount of usable space. For example, a 53-foot trailer with a 3-axle area for the wheels can have a total loading space as small as 27 feet. The loading area of most trailers is 24-26 feet. More modern trailers have slightly larger lower decks, up to 32 feet. Because of this, they normally limit construction hauling companies to moving one item at a time.
Mechanical vs. Hydraulic for Large Machinery
Detachable lowboys can be mechanical or hydraulic.
Mechanical trailers come in two designs: Some versions require mounting a winch to the tractor, while others can just have the tractor rammed into them for construction apparatus hauling.
Their design’s simplicity is their main advantage. The tractors don’t need to have hydraulics to operate a mechanical gooseneck, but the process of hauling large gear is more difficult.
If the trailer sinks into the soil, a winch-less mechanical gooseneck does not help you pick it up easily. Alternatively, with the hydraulic version, you can adjust the neck down or up until the deck is removed from the soil.
When attached, hydraulic trailers lower the deck using hydraulic cylinders. Their low gravity center and ease of loading make them favorites among contractors.
Using a BeaverTail further enhances their versatility. Loading the trailer with multiple large-scale gear or in tight areas becomes possible.
The disadvantage of detachable hydraulic trailers is their weight. They require a tractor with a power pack or wet kit. This results in a self-contained trailer, but a heavier load for the tractor.
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Sliding Axle Trailers
The axle of such a trailer slides forward, so the bed’s back can be lowered to the ground. Because of this, loading the trailer requires no ramps.
However, the sliding axle trailer's most notable advantage is its loading angle. This becomes especially important when hauling various bulky vehicles built close to the ground.
It allows for the loading of pavers without extra ramps and even increases the loading process's safety. The loading angle is very gentle, making it ideal for paving gear, scissor lifts, and other low-ground apparatus.
The deck space is maximized because the entire deck is on the tires. From the wheel area to the gooseneck’s back, the entire area is used. Because of this, a trailer of 53 ft. with a gooseneck of 10 ft., can have as much as 43 ft. of space on its deck.
A trailer with a traveling axle allows for the handling of multiple pieces of apparatus. Low bed detachables are useful in many situations, but ground loading, traveling axles, and single drop trailers can be used for 80% of large-scale hauling, regardless of height.
However, these trailers have disadvantages as well, such as their gravity center and their weight. Building them is complicated: The suspension and undercarriage are made separately, and then mounted on the trailer’s mainframe. It is a bit heavy due to the moving parts, and it’s not particularly useful for permitted loads.
Because the deck is entirely placed above the wheels, it’s also higher than normal lowboy trailers. Depending on the size of the trailer’s tires, the deck height can be as much as 37-40 inches.
The Economical Advantage of Beaver Tails
The biggest advantage of Beaver Tail services is their rates. They are designed for the economical person who won’t use them too often. Their manual ramps are versatile, simple, and use no hydraulics.
However, manual ramps are sometimes problematic for their users. When driving the ramp on soft ground, it gets pushed into the dirt. Getting the ramp back up is difficult since it’s built heavily to withstand loads of up to 80.000 lbs. Normally, it is difficult for one person to move it. Ladder ramps with steel crossbars are even heavier, needing at least two people to move them.
The approach angle of Beaver tails is steeper since the ramp goes above the tires. Also, the deck is normally higher than the deck of a detachable lowboy.
However, in some conditions, this height can become an advantage. Thanks to the BeaverTail, the frame can be as much as 20 inches above the ground in tough terrain.
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Use Apparatus Folding Goosenecks for Low Angles During the Moving Process
Such goosenecks can be found in both mechanical and hydraulic configurations. For the mechanical version, the truck must have a large winch.
Most contractors choose hydraulic goosenecks for construction hauling services and other types of moving since they allow you to place down the neck. This provides you with a lean slope towards the trailer’s bed. With the use of hydraulics, you can also easily pick the neck and bed up from the ground.
The main disadvantage of a folding gooseneck is its complexity, which can add to operating and ownership costs. They are a bit heavier than detachable goosenecks, and they cost more because the neck is more complicated.
A1 Auto Transport is an equipment transport company that will do a great job in taking proper care of every of your equipment while in its care. Give us a phone call today for a free equipment freight shipping estimate, and let's get things started for a seamless equipment shipping experience.