When to Use Oil Equipment Hauling Lowbed？

Need to move a massive excavator across town? Standard trailers simply won’t cut it. This is where lowboy towing comes in. These specialized trailers, with their low deck heights, are lifesavers for transporting oversize and heavy equipment. 

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This guide, written by the lowboy towing experts at Fleetworks Inc., explores seven situations where lowboy towing becomes essential for your heavy equipment hauling needs. By the end, you'll be well-equipped to identify when a lowboy trailer is the right solution for your specific requirements.

The Power of Lowboy Trailers

Lowboy trailers are the undisputed workhorses of the heavy equipment transportation industry. Their defining characteristic is a significantly lower deck height compared to standard trailers, which allows for easy loading and secure transport of a wide variety of cargo, including:

• Oversized cargo: Equipment exceeding standard width and height limitations can be safely loaded onto a lowboy trailer. This eliminates the risk of damage during transport by ensuring the cargo remains within legal size restrictions.
• Heavy equipment: Lowboy trailers are specifically designed to handle significant weight capacities, making them ideal for heavy equipment towing. Their robust construction ensures the trailer can bear the weight of the equipment without compromising stability during transport.
• Tall equipment: The low deck height is a game-changer for tall equipment. It allows for loading without exceeding legal height restrictions. This eliminates the need for special permits in many cases, saving time and simplifying the transportation process.

There are different types of lowboy trailers available, each catering to specific needs. Common options include fixed lowboy gooseneck trailers, fixed neck trailers, and removable gooseneck trailers. Understanding the different lowboy trailer dimensions and configurations is crucial for selecting the right trailer for your specific cargo.

7 Situations When Lowboy Towing is Essential

No. 1: Moving Construction Equipment

Excavators, bulldozers, graders — these workhorses form the backbone of any construction site. However, their size and weight make them unsuitable for transport on standard trailers. Lowboy towing becomes the perfect solution in these situations. The low deck height of a lowboy trailer allows for easy loading and secure transport of construction equipment, minimizing the risk of damage during transit and ensuring timely delivery to the project site.

No. 2: Transporting Industrial Equipment

Industrial facilities rely on a variety of heavy machinery for their day-to-day operations. Whether it's moving equipment for relocation, repairs, or upgrades, lowboy towing becomes a necessity. The lowboy trailer's ability to handle the weight and dimensions of industrial equipment ensures safe and efficient transportation. This minimizes downtime for the facility and keeps operations running smoothly.

No. 3: Hauling Agricultural Equipment

Large-scale farms are dependent on a fleet of heavy agricultural equipment like combines, harvesters, and tractors. When these machines need to be transported for maintenance, seasonal relocation, or sale, lowboy trailers are the ideal choice. The low deck height facilitates easy loading and unloading, while the robust construction of the trailer ensures safe transport over long distances, protecting valuable farm equipment during the journey.

No. 4: Emergency Transportation of Damaged Equipment

Equipment breakdowns can happen unexpectedly, disrupting operations and potentially impacting project timelines. In such situations, prompt and efficient transport of the damaged equipment becomes critical. Lowboy trailers are perfectly suited for emergency situations as they can handle the weight and size of most heavy equipment. This allows for swift transport to repair facilities, minimizing downtime and getting the equipment back in operation as quickly as possible.

No. 5: Long-Distance Hauling of Oversized Equipment

Sometimes, heavy equipment needs to be transported over long distances for various reasons. Lowboy trailers are specifically designed for long-distance hauls of oversized equipment. Their sturdy construction ensures the cargo remains secure throughout the journey, protecting it from road hazards and weather elements. Additionally, the low deck height reduces wind resistance, improving fuel efficiency for the towing vehicle. This translates to cost savings for long-distance hauls.

No. 6: Transporting Equipment with Low Ground Clearance

Certain types of heavy equipment, like some heavy-duty forklifts or specialized construction vehicles, have very low ground clearance. Standard trailers pose a significant challenge for loading and unloading such equipment due to the height difference. Lowboy trailers, with their low deck height, eliminate this problem. They allow for safe and efficient loading and transport of low-clearance equipment without risk of damage.

No. 7: Situations Requiring Permits

Depending on the size and weight of your equipment, permits might be required for transportation on public roads. Lowboy trailers are specifically designed to comply with these regulations. Their low deck height often allows oversized equipment to be transported without exceeding legal height limitations, eliminating the need for special permits in many cases. This simplifies the transportation process and saves time by avoiding the permit application process.

Choosing the Right Lowboy Towing Company

Selecting the right lowboy towing company is crucial for safe and efficient equipment transport. Some key factors to consider are:

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• Experience: Look for a company with a proven track record in handling oversized and heavy equipment. An experienced team will ensure the safe loading, transportation, and unloading of your valuable equipment.
• Fleet Maintenance: The company should have a well-maintained fleet of lowboy trailers. Regular maintenance ensures the trailers are in top condition, minimizing the risk of breakdowns during transport.
• Safety Measures: Inquire about the company's safety protocols. A reputable company will prioritize safety throughout the transportation process, from proper equipment securing to following safe driving practices.
• Insurance: Ensure the company has adequate insurance coverage to protect your equipment in case of unforeseen circumstances during transport.

Final Words

A lowboy trailer, also known as a double-drop, float, or low loader, is a specialized semi-trailer that features a lowered platform between two elevated decks; one is the fixed gooseneck in the front deck that stretches over the wheels to the trailer’s rear end. Its design allows heavy-freight transportation companies to position the load significantly close to the ground so that it offers sufficient height clearance to maintain a legal load despite exceeding the DOT height limit.

While the width is the commonly used metric to determine an oversized load, the height can also be challenging when shipping farm machinery. The height and width limit of any in-transit farm equipment in any state is 8.5 ft. Imagine moving a 10-ft.-tall tractor or harvester; you wouldn’t transport it on a flatbed or step-deck due to its excessive height. That’s when you need a lowboy trailer. The double-drop-deck design enables them to carry loads reaching up to 14 ft. tall without requiring a permit. Furthermore, a standard two-axle lowboy has a load-carrying capacity of about 40,000 to 45,000 pounds, but that can increase to a maximum of 80,000 pounds with an axle configuration.

Accidents lurk on the road, especially when shipping oversized cargo. You can avoid that by practicing the following safety strategies.

Find the Shortest and Most Linear Route: 

The transport supervisor must ensure that they survey the route to find the shortest route with minimum obstructions, such as utility lines, overpasses, roadblocks, and traffic. Assess the bridges and challenging terrain in rural areas. The smoother and more straightforward the road is, the better for the equipment safe travel. Tractor transport has been in the shipping industry for years. For this reason, we know almost all the routes from Alaska to Texas, and across the borders to Mexico and Canada.

Get the Permits: 

You’ll need a DOT transport permit when hauling oversized farm equipment like combines, cotton pickers, grain trucks, and loaders. Do that months in advance to avoid a last-minute rush. If possible, disassemble the cargo’s accessories and attachment to achieve a legal load. Luckily, you don’t need to go through all the hustles of acquiring the permits and a team of highly qualified logisticians you will do it for you.

Immobilize the Equipment Wheels: 

Using robust chains and synthetic tie-down straps is not enough to prevent the equipment from moving forwards and backward on deck. That’s why you need to have wedges, chocks, and cradles and place them on the wheels’ front and back to secure the load perfectly.

Have the Clear Signs and Flashing Lights: 

When transporting an over-dimensional load, you might be required to have one or two pilot cars. Together with the pulling truck, the escort vehicles must have a clear “OVERSIZED LOAD” sign at the bumper. There also must be flashing amber lights with height detectors to alert of any bridges or tree canopies. The law also requires that you have the necessary road signs, proper PPE, and repair tools.

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