Heavy Haul Trucking Company

Heavy Haul 101 – we are providing this article so you will get you up to speed (no pun intended) on heavy haul trucking with emphasis on additional information to assist anyone shipping oversize or overweight equipment. Heavy haul seems like a complex and difficult task, this is true, however all heavy haulers do this daily just like other skilled workers perform their tasks on a regular basis.

Trucking and transportation of extremely heavy freight is a day to day task that is handled by heavy haul trucking companies day-to-day. On busy interstate highways you will see OVERSIZE and overweight loads being transported all the time. Thus, this should be a good indicator that it may be a skilled and exacting job, but it is done routinely.

The most common big and heavy freight you will see on the highways is yellow iron, which is slang for construction, mining and material handling large or heavy equipment. As this equipment may not be driven on a public road, it must be transported on a specialized heavy haul trailer. This is true for both short distance and cross country moves of heavy equipment.

Great Western Transportation is the industry leading heavy haul and specialized carrier resource locator in North America, transporting all US and destined to Canada heavy haul freight.

When you will need to transport large and heavy equipment; your first step will be to obtain a low boy or specialized trailer freight quote. This is the first step that will allow you to properly budget for the transportation.

Heavy Haul Companies serve the whole USA.

As an example heavy haul companies in Texas serve all other US cities and will be glad to assist you in transporting you oversize and overweight. Generally heavy transport companies have a trailer yard in one state, however they will service numerous other states. Due to the need for large trailer yards, heavy haul companies like to be situated by major highways and in commercial property zones.

Heavy haul companies will sometimes drive hundreds of miles empty in order to pick up super load. This travel is factored into the price of the overall transportation charge.

No matter where customers requiring heavy transport services are located, including across the United States or Canada, Great Western Transportations service is unmatched, we guarantee you that your deliveries will be fast, seamless and efficient.

Heavy haul transport in Houston TX trucking solutions may include a trailer from one of the major trailer manufacturers such as: Cozad, Dynaweld, Kaylyn Siebert, Murray Trailer and XL Specialized Trailers.

Heavy haul accidents are much rarer versus general car or truck accidents. In many cases these accidents occur on remote roads with bad road conditions. The reason why folks are intimidated by the large machinery rolling down the highway is simply because of its size. Unbeknownst to the other drivers on the road is that the driver of that large piece of machinery does this every day.

 

Understanding Heavy Haul Weight and Axles Relationship

Max Legal Limits

The max weight allowed on any axle configuration without requiring a permit is generally 34,000 lbs on a tandem axle.

Max Permit Limit

The max weight allowed on any axle configuration with a permit is typically around 44,000 lbs on a tandem axle.

Heavy Haul Drivers

Heavy haul driving jobs are often sought after jobs by truck drivers that have flatbed experience; however training is required before even an experience flatbed truck should attempt to haul a specialized trailer load. This is a skilled trade and requires a mentor and apprentice type of learning environment and process.

Heavy haul freight rates will always be higher versus standard flatbed rates; this is primarily attributed to the cost of a specialty trailer being costlier to purchase and maintain. There is also more downtime for heavy haul trailers, as opposed standard flatbed trailers that are booked more often. There is much more availability of freight for standard flatbed trailers.

Heavy equipment trucking can also be referred to by numerous following business jargon/terms: equipment movers, tractor transport, trailer transport, heavy equipment transport, equipment moving, tractor moving, trailer moving, excavator moving, excavator shipper, excavator mover or excavator transport company. What many folks don’t know is that heavy haulers also move large and very heavy items like: power transformers, refinery equipment, chemical processing equipment, metal working equipment, printing presses, stamping presses, injection mold machines, turbines, condensers, generators, boilers and all other heavy or over-sized loads.

Heavy equipment movers companies serving the USA provide transportation coverage for all lower 48 US states.

Accountability

As a customer, you need to know that your cargo is in safe hands, and will be delivered on time and within budget. Great Western Transportation personalized load tracking and communication with drivers on all loads, so your office can easily track where shipments are on the road, and any issues that may arise. You as our customer will have confidence that Great Western Transportation, your trusted expert heavy haul trucking company, will be held accountable for your freight.

Planning Considerations for Heavy Haul Shipments

Before a heavy haul shipment moves, Great Western Transportation reviews the equipment’s dimensions, weight, and axle configuration to determine the right trailer — lowboy, RGN, double drop, or multi-axle — and to identify which states the load will travel through, since each state has its own oversize and overweight permitting requirements and legal limits. Lead time matters: permits, route surveys, and pilot car (escort vehicle) coverage need to be arranged in advance for loads that exceed standard width, height, length, or weight thresholds, and some routes restrict oversize travel to daylight hours or specific days of the week. Great Western has coordinated similar heavy haul moves before — see recent shipment examples for how these details play out in practice.

How Great Western Coordinates the Shipment

Great Western Transportation coordinates heavy haul shipments across the lower 48 states and into Canada by first reviewing the load’s dimensions, weight, and configuration to determine the appropriate trailer type, then identifying every state oversize/overweight permitting agency the route will pass through. Every carrier and driver is vetted for proper insurance, strong safety ratings, and a clean compliance record before being matched to a shipment, and declared cargo value is checked against the carrier’s insurance coverage, since a standard truck typically carries $100,000 in cargo insurance and additional coverage can be arranged for higher-value equipment. Great Western schedules pickup and delivery appointment windows with both parties, arranges permits and pilot car escorts in advance when dimensions or weight require them, and ensures a bill of lading is signed at delivery to document the shipment’s condition. If a delivery date is firm, Great Western can also discuss team-driver or expedited options to help meet it. Great Western does not maintain a local terminal or fleet; shipments are coordinated through qualified carrier partners matched to the specific load, and our team is available by phone for direct, personal support throughout the process.