State to State Heavy Equipment Shipping Considerations

1. Know What You Need
2. Stick With Experienced Shippers
3. Direct Delivery
4. Cost Factors

Shipping heavy equipment is a whole different ball of wax than shipping a standard vehicle. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance that you only consider and deal with companies that have plenty of experience with transporting heavy equipment. Shipping heavy equipment is a tricky job that requires special equipment of its own, not to mention a good understanding of the required permits in certain areas if you’re shipping from one state to another.

Know What You Need

Since shipping heavy equipment and machinery is a complex task, you should know exactly what you need before you contact a shipper for a cost estimate. This means not only where you’re shipping to and from, but the type of equipment you need transported, along with dimensions and a specific delivery location. Depending on what you need transported, the company may need to bring in special equipment to facilitate the loading process so it’s important to provide as much detail as possible. The more you’re able to communicate to the shipper, the more accurate your price quote is likely to be.

Stick With Experienced Shippers

We’ve already stressed some of the challenges of shipping heavy equipment, as well as how that affects the importance of dealing with an experienced transport company, but it deserves its own emphasis. While you’re surveying which companies you might use, keep in mind that a lot of auto transport companies offer specialty services like heavy equipment shipping as more of a side portion of their business, rather than one of the primary things they do. In other words, just because a shipper has “state to state heavy equipment shipping” listed on their website doesn’t necessarily mean they have tons of experience, or understand all the laws that apply to transporting heavy equipment.

A-1 Auto Transport has been shipping heavy equipment and machinery for more than 20 years. With a wealth of experience and a long track record of satisfied customers, we’re happy to offer our services anywhere you need shipping to or from! Call us today at 1-800-452-2880 for a FREE price quote for your heavy equipment transport request! No payment or obligation is required and all estimates are 100% FREE—no strings attached!

Direct Delivery

If you’re shipping heavy equipment, there’s a good chance you have a specific plan for it, which is why direct delivery is a good option. Keep in mind the terrain you’ll be loading and unloading onto since it can affect how easy or difficult the process will be. In a lot of cases, customers prefer to have their equipment delivered to a nearby storage area for unloading, although many have them delivered directly to a work site as well. If you choose not to use direct delivery, that means you’ll have to put in some work to transport the heavy equipment yourself, at least for the last leg of the trip (from the shipping terminal to its final destination).

Cost Factors

There are a host of things that affect the overall cost of shipping heavy equipment, but there are a few main ones that will help you understand how pricing is dictated. Here are the key elements that determine transport costs:

• Distance – The transport distance is one of the major components of the total cost. Further distance means a higher overall price, especially with particularly large or heavy cargo like equipment and machinery.
• Weight & Dimensions – The weight and dimensions of what you’re shipping also play a large factor in the cost. The heavier the cargo, the more it costs to ship and any tricky dimensions can alter what type of carrier is used and how the equipment is secured.
• Delivery Timeframe – If you need a rush job for heavy equipment transport, you can expect to pay a premium. Expedited transport is a service many companies offer, but there are limits on how much driving can be done in one day.