Safety for the driver of a heavy-haul load and the load itself is the utmost priority on a job, but minimizing the cost of heavy-haul shipping is a close second. Heavy equipment shipping costs vary by job, but things can become a little pricey. Gas, time, resources, permits, and more all need to be covered in the cost of shipping. However, there are some heavy-haul shipping tips and tricks you can use to ensure you receive the best value for your money and can receive your equipment safely on a reasonable timeline.
Get Accurate Measurements
Getting accurate measurements for your heavy equipment is extremely important and significantly impacts the accuracy of your shipping quote. Underestimating measurements can also create real-world problems with serious repercussions. For example, as happened in Calgary recently, if the height of an excavator is underestimated, it can lead to accidents when the excavator is too tall to pass under bridges. This can mean serious fines and even criminal charges for the driver.
Just like underestimation of height, underestimation of weight can also cause serious issues. It could damage the truck and trailer, leading to costly repairs and possibly dangerous situations.
One way to make sure that your measurements are as accurate as possible is to use Trusted Dispatch’s powerful specs tool. It has over 60,000 basic makes and models of equipment pre-loaded, so when you enter the make and model of your equipment, it can pull up the closest match and tell you the dimensions.
Get the Appropriate Permits
Be thorough in your preparations for your load and make sure you have taken care of all the permits required. Driving with missing permits can cost you some undesirable fines, so you will want to be sure that everything is in order before loading day. This is something your experienced driver may be able to help you with, but it is highly recommended that you do some research yourself. If you have an oversized load, what permits do you need? What kind of permits are needed for a regular heavy-haul load? If you are crossing the border, what permits are required? These are all questions you will need to answer.
Plan Your Route in Advance
Planning your route in advance can help you avoid as many hiccups as possible. Of course, we cannot predict everything that might happen during a haul, but we can do our best to prevent delays.
Different permits allow you to travel through different provinces and different countries, but you need to know where the permits allow you to go so you can ensure your route is fully covered. You’ll also want to double-check your route for delays like construction and avoid them if possible to save you some time and money.
Hire a Professional
If you’re purchasing heavy equipment from an auction or a used dealer, or especially if you’re purchasing brand new, it’s important to hire a professional to haul your equipment. You’ve already invested a lot of money into your purchase, why risk safety by hiring an amateur?
There is a lot of skill and experience required to do it well, and errors can be costly. You will truly save yourself immense amounts of time, stress, hassle, and money by hiring a professional. Unless you have the training, experience, time, and means to haul the equipment yourself, your best bet is to work with a heavy equipment transport company to move your machines.
Reliable Heavy Hauling Services in North America
For reliable heavy haul transport in North America, Trusted Dispatch is the way to go. With our experienced and professional drivers, your heavy haul load can get from point A to point B efficiently and quickly. We also make sure to provide fair rates for drivers while doing our best to provide the best quotes for customers.
To start hauling your heavy equipment with Trusted Dispatch, get your free, instant quote today.
