Heavy equipment hauling: trailers, securement, permits and what a move costs

Which trailer fits which machine

The machine picks the trailer. Weight decides how many axles you need; height decides how low the deck must be. A machine that is legal on a lowboy can be over height on a flatbed, because a flatbed deck sits well above a lowboy's.

A lowboy has a deck that drops between the gooseneck and the rear axles. An RGN, or removable gooseneck, detaches its neck so the front of the trailer lowers to the ground and the machine drives on. More on the options in hauling trailers.

Securing equipment: the federal rules

• Wheeled or tracked equipment of 10,000 lb or more must be restrained against sideways, forward, rearward and vertical movement, with at least four tiedowns. Source
• The working load limits of all the tiedowns together must add up to at least half the weight of the machine. Source

In practice, a 40,000 lb dozer needs chains and binders with a combined working load limit of at least 20,000 lb, attached at the machine's tie-down points, not around hydraulic lines. Lower the blade and bucket to the deck, lock articulation and swing, and check everything again after the first miles. Our load securement calculator does the arithmetic.

When a machine needs permits

The legal box on the Interstate is 102 inches wide Source and 80,000 lb gross, with axle groups held to the bridge formula. Source Source Height has no federal limit; states set it Source, from 13 ft 6 in in Pennsylvania Source to 14 ft in Texas. Source Past any limit, every state on the route issues its own permit: TxDMV in Texas Source, the K-TRIPS system in Kansas Source, and so on.

Permits set the route, travel hours and escort requirements. Wide loads often need one or two pilot cars and can't move at night in many states. Check dimensions against the limits with the oversize load checker, and read who handles permits and escorts.

Loading and unloading safely

Most equipment injuries happen at the ramps, not on the highway. Park on firm, level ground, set the trailer brakes and chock the wheels. With an RGN, check the neck is locked down before anyone drives on. Have one person run the machine and one spotter in clear view, and agree on hand signals first. Wet or icy ramps and tracked machines are a bad mix: clean the tracks and deck, and add traction where you can. Once the machine is in place, set its brakes and locks before the first chain goes on.

Hauling heavy equipment with a hotshot

Skid steers, compact excavators and small tractors are steady work for hotshot rigs. Watch the ratings: a pickup and gooseneck rated 26,001 lb or more combined, towing a trailer rated over 10,000 lb, needs a Class A CDL. Source Many hotshot setups stay under that line, which caps the machines they can legally carry. Weigh the machine with its attachments, not just the brochure weight. Price these runs with the hotshot rate calculator.

How an equipment move is priced EXAMPLE

A long equipment move is built up from parts. Here is one way a carrier might price an over-width excavator move:

These numbers are made up to show the structure, not market rates. Permit and escort costs are often billed as separate lines on the rate confirmation. Check what the linehaul pays on every mile with the rate per mile calculator.

Construction hauling beyond machines

Construction material hauling, such as gravel, sand, asphalt and fill, is a different job: it moves in dump trucks and end dumps, priced by the hour, ton or load. See bulk hauling. Equipment haulers often pair with those fleets, moving the machines to the site that the dump trucks then feed.

What the shipper should have ready

A smooth move starts with the paperwork. The shipper should give the make and model, operating weight with attachments, length, width and height in transport position, and the pickup and delivery contacts with hours. Ask whether a loader or crane is on site for anything that can't drive on, and whether attachments ride on the same trailer. A wrong dimension can mean a permit that doesn't match the load, and a permit that doesn't match the load is a ticket or a parked truck at the first scale. Measure the machine as it will ride, with the boom, bucket and blade where they will sit on the trailer, and send photos if anything is unusual.

Choosing heavy equipment hauling companies

If you are shipping a machine, look for a carrier with active operating authority, cargo insurance that covers the machine's value, the right trailer and experience with your machine type. Ask who orders permits and escorts and how they are billed. For carriers, the bigger trade of oversize and superload work is covered in heavy haul trucking, and the wider specialty picture in hauling.

If you run a lowboy or RGN, the hard part is keeping it loaded between projects. Our oversize and heavy haul dispatch finds equipment moves, confirms the specs and permits, and calls you before anything is booked.