Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
When you are done with your work in a construction site, the next thing that you do is move the machine to another site. You are always in the need of heavy equipment in all your sites as long as you have your projects running. Therefore, it is very important that you always keep the machines on move whenever they are done with one site or are sitting idle. At the same time, you also have to be ultra cautious when you are loading the machine in a trailer and moving it to a different place. So while loading the machine on the trailer, you need to check if the surface of the trailer is indeed low or else it may some cause damage to the equipment. In numerous occasions, while loading the equipment on the trailer, a side of the equipment gets dented by brushing across the edgy surface of the trailer. The problem is not that the machine was not lifted properly but the real issue is with the height of the trailer. The deck of the trailer needs to be extremely low so that while loading the machine, it does not come in contact with the deck of the trailer and thus avoid any sort of damage.
The lowboy trailer is one such trailer whose deck is not much up from the ground and allows carrying load up to 12 feet. Equipment this tall can’t be ferried on other trailers. Heavy equipment like bulldozers, excavators and other heavy duty equipment are hauled using a lowboy trailer. The first lowboy trailer was made somewhere around 1920s. It had a riveted gooseneck and the tires of the equipment were of solid rubber.
It is not advisable to load heavy equipment without the supervision of an expert. This will simply ruin the equipment and what you’ll get is just scrap. There are lot of accidents happened just because of improper loading of machines. For instance, if you are loading an excavator, then you have to first pull the excavator’s bucket and then lower it. If you fail to lower it down, you will only invite some very serious problem. It is recommended that you first put the boom facing the back of the trailer and the bucket of the excavator attached below the boom.
Other than that, it is equally important to chain the heavy equipment properly. If it is loosely chained, then there are high chances that it might just slip away on the road while the trailer is on the move. It may cause to very serious accidents. There are also chances of it hitting the vehicles coming from behind as they may not anticipate a disaster like this to happen.
Concurrently, check the weight of the machine before you load them on the trailer. If you overload the trailer with machines that it can take, then it will be a cause of worry. Avoid overloading the trailer and that will help in safeguarding the machine as well as increase the life of the trailer.
Pingback: Heavy Equipment that builds bridges | Heavy Equipment Articles