Tips for Hauling Your Heavy Equipment Safely

If you work with heavy equipment, hauling it to different destinations is probably an essential aspect of your job. However, if you don’t take the proper safety precautions, sending off your loads can be dangerous. So, it’s vital to implement safety measures before your trip.

Here are a few of the best tips for hauling your heavy equipment safely.

Select the Best Type of Trailer for Your Load

When hauling heavy equipment, it’s important to consider the kind of trailer you’ll need to get the job done. You can choose a variety of trailers, whether you need a step deck, double-drop, or flat-bed, or stretch trailer. Consider which of these closely align with your hauling needs, as it will help ensure your equipment is adequately secured and travels safely to its destination.

Pay Attention To Load Capacity

Paying attention to the load capacity of the unique trailer you choose for your haul is also a crucial step to ensuring a safe and successful trip. Many people make the mistake of only looking at how much weight a trailer can withstand without checking to see if its length capacity fits the size of their haul.

For instance, if your cargo is a 20 ton, 20-foot-long load, you’d want to double-check that the length capacity of your trailer is within that same range. If you try to fit that same load on a trailer with a length capacity of only ten feet, it will create many unnecessary hazards. The most dangerous would be the cargo not being appropriately secured, which would make travel with it dangerous.

Secure and Inspect Your Haul

Another safety measure you should take before sending your equipment off is hiring a professional to carry out a complete pre-trip inspection. The inspector will examine every nook and cranny for potential hazards, and they’ll also ensure your equipment is secured before you send it off. These inspections are vital to keeping your haul, its operator, and everyone else on the road safe.

Hire Trained Professionals To Help

Once you’ve selected your trailer, checked its load capacity, and carried out an inspection, you’ll feel confident to send off your equipment. Of course, the last thing you’ll need is an operator to haul the load to its destination. It is paramount to hire a professionally trained operator to do this.

Although it might be tempting to hire someone from your staff, they shouldn’t operate the haul unless they have a specific qualification for hauling heavy equipment. If they’re unqualified, you could put your equipment at risk and invite the potential for other unnecessary dangers. (For example, you wouldn’t want to lose your load.) Hiring someone trained to handle this kind of specialized task is the easiest and safest way to ensure your haul gets where it’s going safely.

Incorporating a few basic safety precautions when planning your hauls will ensure safety and success for everyone involved. Hopefully, this guide has given you some solid tips for hauling your heavy equipment safely.