The Biggest Challenges With Shipping Heavy Equipment

When we are talking about heavy equipment, we are referring to vehicles or machines used for handling tasks that require significant power and strength such as for construction, mining, agriculture and many more.

In a simple term, heavy equipment are tools known to weigh more than 5,000 pounds and above.  

Some of examples of heavy equipment include the following:

● Excavator and compactors

● Cranes and loaders

● Tractors and bulldozers

● Dump trucks and pavers

● Freight containers 

● Scrapers and articulated hauliers

Safety and Protection 

US CarGo freight is known for ensuring all your vehicles are completely secured when we are shipping them. However, heavy equipment requires even more safety and careful handling than any other shipment you can imagine.

Firstly, we must first ensure that all our warning signs, flags, and various lights are working perfectly in order to let others on the road know that an oversized load is being shipped. 

Secondly, we must cover the heavy equipment with a strong tarp to protect them from external factors and also ensure they will not move at all during the shipping process to avoid potential danger.

Limited Shipping Time

Heavy equipment shipping does not happen on a daily basis, making it difficult for auto transport companies to provide exact dates and times that your heavy equipment will be delivered to your desired location.

At US CarGo Freight, we try our best to ensure our customer's heavy equipment is delivered at the right time and always provide regular updates for more specified timing.

Permits and Escort

Some states in the United States have laws that only permit auto transport companies to ship across a particular location or residential area. So, the company has to obtain specific permits or escort vehicles from the U.S. Department of Transportation to operate a shipment on these roads.

Shipping without these permits, escort vehicles or police escorts can result in hefty fines depending on the load and the states that the truck passes through.

As long as you are not shipping internationally, you can leave personal items in your vehicle, but this is 100% at your discretion and your own risk. If you are looking to be budget conscious and aware, be sure to unload those unnecessary items that are packed in pounds. The heavier your vehicle, the heftier the cost. 

There are three standard methods that auto shipping companies can use to ship your heavy equipment. They include the following:

● Container shipping

● Flat rack

● Roll on, and roll-off

● Container Shipping

This is the oldest shipping method of shipping and it provides easy loading and unloading of heavy equipment conveyed in standard twenty or forty-foot containers. Container shipping is used to load and unload your heavy equipment onto the cargo area of a large ship, making it safe and easy to haul. 

● Flat rack or flatbed trailer

This is one of the more common methods for shipping heavy equipment from one state to another. A flatbed can carry up to 48,000 pounds and it is also easy to load and unload heavy equipment on it.

The only disadvantage of using a flatbed is that your heavy equipment is exposed to dirt, debris, snow and other road elements.

● Roll-On and Roll-Off

Roll-on and Roll-Off is a type of shipping method known to be the perfect choice if you want to ship heavy equipment that has wheels. They are designed in a way that makes it easy for the heavy equipment to drive onto and off them using its wheels.

US Car-Go Freight partners with a large network of carriers and drivers in n the industry across the United States but not all these carriers have the right tools needed to ship heavy equipment.

Also, not all carriers ship heavy equipment, making it difficult to ship on time. To solve this problem, we always tell our customers to contact us as early as possible when they want to ship their heavy equipment.

Mistakes are not allowed when shipping heavy equipment as they can lead to severe problems and injuries. That is why at US Car-Go Freight, we always ask our customers to fill out a comprehensive quote where we ask for all the specs of the heavy equipment that want to be shipped.

Shipping heavy equipment often requires obtaining the right customs and documentation for the shipping process. With every country having its own set of requirements and regulations that govern shipping heavy equipment, it often requires thorough research and a long process to get all the documents ready.

A successful shipping of heavy equipment requires years of experience and expertise in the field and that is what US Car-Go Freight is known for.

We are well aware of all the challenges that are attached to doing this, and we have an adequately trained team and the perfect driver that understands the risks and works adequately to avoid them.