4 Safety Tips for Hauling Heavy Equipment
Heavy equipment hauling requires detailed planning, careful coordination, and exceptional human skills to avoid collisions, rolling down, skidding, and other accidents. The risk involved is high, and the equipment you are hauling can cost nearly half a million dollars and the lives of other drivers and the safety of the vehicles on the road are also associated with your actions. All these responsibilities make heavy equipment hauling even more challenging.
However, following the proper procedures, regulations, and safety tips can make your hauling experience less stressful and risky. The following blog post highlights a few safety tips for how you can properly ensure secure heavy equipment hauling.
1. Use The Right Vehicle And Trailer
Just because your trailer is big enough to fit the equipment doesn’t mean it is the right trailer to haul every type of equipment and weight. It is essential to have the right axle design and configuration to the size so it can carry the load being shipped. It is important to check the safety capacity of your trailer. Remember that jarring gears and uneven terrain can significantly increase the weight of your load. A variety of trailers can be used such as flatbed, drop deck, lowboy, or gooseneck trailers. Also, make sure that your vehicle has enough power to pull the trailer safely.
2. Load Securing And Distribution
Once you have your hands on the right trailer, it is time to secure and evenly distribute the load on the trailer. Improper loading is one of the most common causes for truck accidents. To avoid these, consider putting the load on the trailer in a way that is evenly distributed. An uneven load will increase the chances of tripping which makes it difficult for the driver to control the vehicle as well as the trailer.
Moreover, everything should be secured to avoid shifting in transit. Depending on the type of trailer you are using, you will need chocks, wedges, or tie downs. Always make sure that the load is secured so that it doesn’t fall off during transportation. This will not only affect the equipment being hauled but will also pose a threat to the other people on the road.
3. Driver Training And Experience
Putting a novice behind the wheel when a huge load is being transported can be a severe mistake and result in several unwanted negative events. Make sure you are trusting a driver that has the experience and required training for handling the load being transported. They should be familiar with the road safety protocols. Your drivers need to have ongoing training to ensure that their skills remain fresh at all times.
One of the most important aspects of heavy load drivers is to never drive above the speed limit. As the speed increases, the stress on the load and vehicle increases. This stress makes the vehicle and trailer more prone to accidents and skidding. Moreover, in many cases, heavy load drivers are required to drive below the set speed because high speed can damage the road and cause accidents.
4. Optimize Route Planning
It is always a bad idea to take a heavy load out at busy rush hours in big city traffic. So it is better to carefully map out your route and ponder on the possible problems you may encounter. If possible try to map a route with no low-hanging bridges, road construction areas, toll roads, heavy traffic, and other obstructions that can slow down transportation.
You need to make sure that roads on the route you choose are good enough to handle the weight, height, and size of the load. If you are en route to an unknown road and area. It is a good idea to first travel the route in a small vehicle and analyze the area for any possible obstructions and problems.
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