Heavy Equipment Transport

Whether you need to transport industrial equipment, construction gear, or any kind of heavy equipment, getting it moved throughout the USA can often seem like a hassle. It can often require special freight shippers with experience in handling large items and requires some specialist equipment to move the items on and off a flatbed truck.

Vehicle options range from lowboy trucks and flatbed trailers to step deck trailers and RGN (removable gooseneck trailers). There are also a number of permits and restrictions that surround transporting heavy equipment, and for this reason booking someone to complete the job can often seem like a hassle with prices given often not 100% transparent, 

How Much Does Heavy Equipment Transport Cost?

With a number of factors involved, it can be difficult to give an accurate estimate on the cost of heavy equipment transport, but on average you can expect to pay around $5 per mile for shorter distance journeys and $1.75 per mile for longer haul shipments. 

Aside from distance, here are some other things that can affect the quotes you can expect to receive:

Item Size – Just how big the heavy equipment you need to move will also affect your pricing. Flatbed hauls are the most standard solution and will be sufficient for most heavy large items. In the rare case that you require more than a flatbed, special trailers will generally be the solution, which can involve special permits and will likely raise your price. The size of the item can also mean that certain routes are unavailable to travel, which might make the route longer.

Timings – If you need something delivered by a certain time then this will likely also raise your price. This is because it may mean a delivery is made for you personally, as opposed to your delivery being part of a normal route.

Pickup And Delivery Locations – If your pickup location is remote then this requires more fuel and time to pick up your item, whereas urban and well-populated areas are likely to cost less as they are less out of the way.

Time Of Year – Adverse weather conditions can also affect pricing in some cases as they can shut off certain routes and make journeys longer.

Preparing Heavy Equipment For Shipping

If you have selected a shipping company for your heavy equipment and are happy with them then you should follow some steps to ensure that you are prepared for pickup: 

Documents – First off, you want to make sure that all permits and documents are sorted before pickup. You should confirm with the shipping company what permits are required and that they are in place.

Check Condition And Take Photographs – You should check over the condition and running order of your heavy equipment prior to pick up, ensuring that you are aware of all damages. Taking high-quality time-stamped photos is highly recommended as this will give you great evidence of condition beforehand should any disputes arise.

Cover Important Parts – You should make sure that you read the manual for your equipment and follow any guidelines such as turning off electrical components before transport. Wrapping any of these ‘vulnerable’ parts up in bubble wrap or similar protective material is a great way of ensuring the utmost safety of your equipment.