Need to Haul Solar Panels Across the Country?

Solar energy is all the rage when it comes to home utilities. People from across the continental United States and Canada are looking to install solar panels on their roofs and elsewhere on their household. So whether you’re a solar power company in New York or Vancouver, you might be wondering how you’re going to haul solar panels from where they’re made all the way to where you need to install them. The answer is Great Western Transportation.

When it comes to hauling solar panels, we know how to do it right. With our Flatbed Trucking service, our drivers are able to safely haul solar panels from wherever they’re made in the U.S. to anywhere else in the continental United States or Canada that they’re needed in. Our flatbed trailers are the best option when it comes to hauling something as delicate as solar panels, and they’re also the best way to move a lot of them too.

By choosing Great Western Transportation, you’re also choosing safety and security in our experience and knowledge. Our drivers and staff will secure all the solar panels onto the flatbed trailers with the necessary straps and other equipment to ensure a safe journey. Depending on the type of flatbed trailer that you choose, the haul may be considered an oversized load, and our veteran drivers can deal with that too.

In such an event, our drivers will have all the necessary permits to haul the oversized load and we will even provide the escort vehicle and driver that’s legally required in some states and they will work to further ensure that the journey goes smoothly. So by choosing Great Western Transportation when it comes to hauling your solar panels, you’re choosing our guarantee that your solar panels will be at its destination, safe and sound.

If you have any questions about our Flatbed Trucking service or if you want to get a quote now, please contact us!

July 19, 2019 | | Category: Flatbed, General, Heavy Haul

Use Heavy Haul Trucking for Your Wind Energy Needs

New wind farms are sweeping across America and providing renewable energy to millions of people. But what many don’t know is how those gigantic wind turbines get moved from the factory to the wind farm. This is where transportation services like Great Western Transportation comes in. We offer companies the ability to move their heaviest loads, including the turbines and other equipment necessary for wind farms, across the country to their destination.

Wind farms can be built in many areas of the country but the plains of the midwest are a very popular region to have them in. Getting the necessary equipment and turbines moved from wherever they’re built to its destination at the wind farm is a very tough task that Great Western Transportation is determined to accomplish for its customers.

There are many things that customers looking to move heavy things across the country must know about this task and why Great Western Transportation is capable of doing the job. First and foremost is the fact that heavy haul trucking moves loads that are commonly called oversized or overweight. This is a legal challenge as states have different regulations for it and permits are required on a state by state basis.

Special routes must be planned for the haul as the infrastructure the haul uses must be able to handle the weight of the load. Other regulatory requirements include a need for an escort vehicle to ensure the safety of other commuters, the load itself, and the roads themselves. Great Western Transportation is one of the country’s leaders at hauling heavy loads across the continental United States and Canada and we will do all the necessary work to complete the haul. We are also proud to take part in building the renewable energy infrastructure of the country.

If you’re looking to haul wind turbines, other wind energy equipment, or other heavy loads across the country, please contact Great Western Transportation today.

July 15, 2019 | | Category: Flatbed, Heavy Haul

Ship Your Construction Equipment With The Help Of The GWT Professionals

A construction project is usually a big job with a lot of heavy equipment being used. The type of equipment being used for your construction job will often times have a tremendous impact on the success of your project. Without the proper construction equipment, project delays and loss of revenue are inevitable. Learn how Great Western Transportation (GWT) can safely and effectively transport your construction equipment to and from your project.

How GWT Will Transport Your Construction Equipment

Great Western Transportation understands the need to ship heavy equipment according to industry standards, how to get it their intact, and on time. In fact, we understand that construction equipment is heavy and large by nature. Our professionals are prepared to used the most common form of construction equipment transport including roll-on and roll-off (RO-RO). Great Western Transportation also offers:

  • step deck
  • double drop deck
  • flat-bed

However, when you have specialized transport needs, we’re proud to serve our clients with the highest standard of customer service excellence. We have the proper flatbed truck for any job including LTL flatbeds and other trailer equipment to make for a smooth haul of your construction equipment. GWT engages in partial construction equipment transport as part of our specialized shipping. This means, we’re prepared to handle your construction equipment transport at any size.

Why Great Western Transportation Continues To Be The Top Construction Equipment Transport Professionals

To Great Western Transportation, carrying up to 46,000 pounds is no problem. It’s valuable to note that we have experience with diverse types of shipping and hauling projects. GWT gets your equipment to your project site stress free and in line with your budget. With different requirements for each customer, we have a strong knowledge of heavy equipment compliance laws. When you’re trying to meet a deadline on a construction project, you’re invited to contact us at Great Western Transportation for your construction equipment transport needs.

July 9, 2019 | | Category: Flatbed, Heavy Haul

What You Need To Know When Transporting Heavy Machinery for Construction

As you think of transporting heavy machinery, the safety of your equipment should always be kept in mind. A trustworthy professional will come in handy to ensure that the chances of losing or damaging your equipment are kept very low. Construction jobs require diverse overweight shipments that have unique transportation needs.  Professional transporting companies work with two things in mind – deliver your heavy machinery safely and maintain safety regulations while at it.

Transporting Heavy Machinery

Transportation processes often begin the preparation of cargo. For your heavy machinery, the company will need proper documentation. They will then prepare a suitable superload, a specialized truck for transport. The superload contains an overweight object (the cargo) that exceeds the standard permit limit. Different states have different regulations for the size and weight of the superload.

A successful oversized load shipment also depends on handling the legal considerations appropriately. Escort Vehicle Operators to safely escort the super load are required for specific oversize loads.

Opt for a company that is well-versed with handling heavy machinery to guarantee the safety of your cargo. Do they have specialized freight cars? Do their drivers have special driving permits? What is their track record in the transport industry? Ask yourself all these questions before making up your mind.

Why Choose Great Western Transportation

Great Western Transportation is a reliable partner for all your heavy machinery transport expeditions. Our top-notch drivers will take cake care of your large machinery and ensure that they are delivered in good time. We are well-equipped to deliver any over-dimensional and overweight machinery.

We specialize in:

  • Heavy haul equipment
  • Construction machinery
  • Specialized equipment
  • Agricultural machinery

Great Western takes pride in a client base that keeps coming knocking on our doors thanks to our efficient logistics services. Contact us and get your construction project up and running once we get your heavy machinery to you. We will manage the whole shipment process efficiently and take care of all the legal issues. You can count on our 100+ years of combined experience. Contact us for more info.

July 1, 2019 | | Category: Heavy Haul

Big Load? Great Western Makes It No Big Deal

From moving heavy equipment to transporting boats, manufactured homes, and other large items which are too high, wide, or heavy for flatbed truck delivery, businesses are often left to deal with not only finding the right equipment to safely, and legally transport items which exceed specified dimensions and weights, but they must also obtain permits, plan out routes, and hire escorts, all while trying to take care of the daily tasks of their businesses. For the average business, Heavy Haul Trucking can be a costly, time-consuming enterprise.

Fortunately for the business owner, there’s Great Western Transportation.  At Great Western Transportation, they take care of all of the logistical tasks, so that business owners and customers alike can rest easy knowing that their products and assets are being delivered by experienced equipment operators.  Not only does Great Western Transportation ensure that the right equipment is used for optimal transport, but they also take care of all of the legal chores such as obtaining permits, escorts, and route surveys, freeing up the business owner to focus on their projects and customers instead of the logistical details.

If a piece of equipment is over 13’6″ high, and/or 8’6″ wide, special permits need to be obtained by each state it goes through. However, if the load fits within these dimensions, but exceeds 80,000 lbs, (which includes the shipment, and the equipment used for transport) permits are also required. Great Western’s experience in the field of obtaining permits saves the business owner the headache of going through the application process to obtain permits in one or multiple states.

Two other services offered by Great Western Transport for Heavy Haul Trucking are their route surveying and escort services.  No one wants a house or piece of equipment damaged en route because no one took the time to make sure that it could fit through certain tunnels and other structures.  Because Great Western Transport takes the time to carefully examine the routes the equipment will take, businesses and customers can fully expect their assets to arrive at their destination intact.  Also, with their escort option in which an escort remains with the load from the moment the load is on the road until it safely reaches its destination, motorists are given ample warning of the large load coming their way, which ensures safety for motorist and transport alike.

So if you are a business owner who needs to move some heavy equipment, why stress about it when Great Western Transport can do it for you?

See Heavy Haul Trucking to find out how Great Western Transport can help you with your Heavy Hauling Needs.

 

June 21, 2019 | | Category: Heavy Haul

How Does Refrigerated Trucking Work Anyway?

Anyone who has needed to ship produce, flowers, film, or medical supplies over long distances has heard of refrigerated trucks. They are a huge part of our current economy, since temperature-sensitive items would have to stay local if we didn’t have them. But how do they work, exactly? Are they just really well insulated?

There are insulated trucks, as it happens, but those are a different type than the ones used for produce. Insulated trucks have their walls and doors made of steel, laminated hardwood, plastic, or other non-porous materials that don’t conduct heat easily. They may have block foam in the walls and doors to keep the temperature as constant as possible. The rear door might have troughs to allow anything that drips to drain away. These insulated trucks are useful for living plants, produce, and many types of medical supplies. However, there is less control over how cold the truck gets as there is no attached refrigeration unit.

refrigerated trucking shipping

A refrigerated truck has walls and doors made of the same sort of materials as the insulated truck. After all, you don’t want to make the refrigeration unit to work just to lose all that cold air to the outside. The floor might have thin grooves, about 5 cm wide, built into it so that the cold air can circulate under the refrigerated items. The big difference is of course the refrigeration unit that is connected to the truck. This might be placed directly behind the driver’s cabin to allow folks to stack their items to the ceiling, but other trucks will have the refrigeration unit on the ceiling of the truck for convenience and safety.

These refrigeration units are sometimes connected to alarms and tracking systems. The tracking systems will give a detailed report of the interior temperature within the truck, and the alarm lets the driver know if the truck has gotten warmer than allowed. The driver can then return the truck to the prescribed temperature.

Here at Great Western Transportation, we have Less-Than-Load and Full-load refrigerated trucks, and many of them let you specify what temperature your products are kept at for the trip. If you would like any more information about refrigerated trucks and shipping, please contact us.

June 12, 2019 | | Category: Refrigerated Trucking

How to Ship Construction Equipment Safely

There are many steps taken when shipping construction equipment which will make the process much more comfortable. Transporting heavy equipment such as bulldozers, tractors, or cranes require persons with experience and expertise. What do you need to know?

Determine the equipment dimensions – measure the width, height, and length of the equipment. To know the weight of the machinery, read the user manual to see the indicated weight, add the weight of any attachments to get the exact weight.

Select transportation trailer – using the obtained dimensions, select a suitable trailer considering factors such as loading and offloading, parts that need dismantling and the size of the cargo. The trailer should not be too small or too big for the equipment.

Check the manual – You may have the manual, or you can check it on the manufacturer’s website. The manual will show valuable information such as; disconnecting batteries, loose parts that need to be secured, latching doors closing and emptying any engine fluids.

Cover vulnerable parts – To ensure your equipment doesn’t get damaged, cover some sensitive parts due to factors such as weather conditions. Too much cold can destroy the equipment’s fuel tanks. Cover fuel tanks to prevent dust or debris from damaging the exhaustion systems.

Obtain the necessary permits – different states have guidelines of how to secure and transport heavy equipment. You will need to obtain a transportation permit for oversize and overweight items.

Pick-up and drop-off – to load and offload the equipment, you will need an open area large enough for doing the exercise. You are also required to have cranes, ramps, or loading docks. Here is some other information you should know;

  • Client hours of operation
  • Contact information
  • Loading area dimensions
  • Delivery and removal policies

If you are planning to buy and transport heavy machinery, contact us to get a free shipping quote and estimates.

June 7, 2019 | | Category: Flatbed, Heavy Haul

How Power Only Trucking is Shaping the Future of Hauling

If you’re looking for a trucking trailer, one of the functions you consider is storage. Often, not many trucking companies will allow you the convenience of having their dry vans without you having to pay for the idle time. To solve this problem, Power-only Shipping is a growing trend that aims at changing the existing landscape for haulers.

What is Power-Shipping

In the trucking industry, the term Power-only shipping refers to the use of an independent driver or logistics firm’s tractor to move a trailer that you have either leased or purchased. Mostly, logistic companies operate a larger volume of containers as compared to tractors, and in using power-only shipping, they lessen the burden of work. In the same way, they can extend the same efficiency to your existing logistical assets.

Power Only Trucking

How Does Power Hauling Operate

Some trailer designs have in mind the idea of remaining in one location for longer timespans.  Should you happen to own one of these, power-only shipping will come in handy when you inevitably need transport. Some relevant examples include:

  • Job sites, for both office and equipment storage needs
  • Heavy equipment/specialized hardware that is periodically moved
  • Exhibits and promotions trailers
  • Disaster relief or running mobile operation centers

In all the above cases, a full-time trailer is necessary. However, dedicating a tractor, in the same way, will only prove to add unnecessary costs. First, the cost of retaining a driver alone will turn out to be exorbitant, let alone the cost of purchasing and servicing the tractor. For that matter, power-only shipping is a prudent option whenever you require it.

As you can see, logistics firms continue to diversify their services, availing drivers who at the time might not have any other engagement and are willing to haul your trailer. Should you choose to use a specialized power-only hauler service, you will undoubtedly find a certified driver and tractor fitting your specific type of load.

June 3, 2019 | | Category: Power Only Trucking
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