KEE Transport – Everything You Need to Know About Low Loader Trailers

Low loader trailers are highly useful and versatile machines that are designed to transport heavy equipment. Whether it’s a crane, excavator, or an enormous dump-truck heading to a mining site, low-loaders are the top pick for transportation.

This type of machine has been in use for several decades, with the first model being introduced in the late 1920s. Since then, it has been called different names around the world, with the Brits calling them “lowboys” and Western Canada referring to them as “low-beds”.

The main difference with these trailers is that they can drop their deck height. With this unique functionality, operators can load machines without the use of a fixed ramp, which is essential when transporting machines to remote sites. The lower deck also means the operator can accommodate even taller machines without needing to obtain a special permit. For example, the average deck height of a trailer is 1.5 metres, and trucks are only allowed to transport machines on the roads of up to 4.5 metres before a special permit is required. A low-loader has a deck height of between 800cm- 1m, therefore the operator immediately gains a much-needed height capacity.

Many companies that deal with heavy machinery find it to be a practical investment, especially when moving advanced equipment.

All About Low Loader Trailers

Low loader trailers can transport heavy machines or project equipment from one place to another with the use of specific hydraulic suspension features. Their low-loading heights and length-optimized loading platforms make them cost-effective machines.

There are different trailers on the market today, from mechanically-detachable gooseneck to fixed neck varieties that perform many carrying tasks, such as carrying construction machines used for excavation, road work, and crushing or screening equipment. Low-loader trailers can also drag forestry machines, such as forwarders, harvesters, and skidders. These are also used for transporting boats and vessels, farming machines, and loading wind power plants like generators and turbine blades.

Given these many applications, these machines have proven to be one of the best ways across all industries to transport heavy cargo across long distances. Some of the most common uses of heavy-duty trailers are the following:

Construction

Perhaps the most commonly known use of trailers is in the construction industry, particularly in the transportation of equipment involved in constructing roads and bridges. Semi-trailers may not always be able to transport all equipment and materials, so low bed trailers are often used to move concrete blocks and beams to construction sites.

Heavy Vehicles

Vehicles that are being moved from one showroom to another are transported using low loader trailers. These heavy vehicles include buses, trucks, tractors, and other similar vehicles.

Trailers are used to move these vehicles between ports and showrooms or even directly to clients. If you are transporting smaller cars, then low bed trailers can still be used by stacking these vehicles to maximise space.

Mining Machinery

Mining involves both the transporting of equipment and the different materials related to the industry, such as crude oil and minerals. To accomplish this, the heavy machinery needed is assembled offsite and brought to the mining site for use with low loader trailers.

Mining machinery and equipment are generally the heaviest cargo transported on the road, so heavy hauliers are the preferred method of transportation.

Rail Vehicles

Given that rail vehicles are especially bulky and heavy, low bed trailers are the best way to transport them. This can apply to any of the different types of rail vehicles, including rail motor coaches, locomotives, and road-rail vehicles.

Forestry Equipment

Cutting down and moving logs requires the use of heavy machinery and equipment to process timber and other wood products on-site before transporting them. The machinery used to perform these tasks is assembled or imported before being moved to the forest, and low loader trailers typically deliver these since they can withstand the rough terrain.

Agricultural Equipment

Large scale farming located far away from towns and cities will require the transportation of excavators, cranes, and bulldozers using a trailer that can go through muddy farms with no issues. Low load trailers are ideal for this type of transportation requirement.

Conclusion

Whether you need to move heavy equipment for construction or mining, low loader trailers are an efficient way to address your transportation needs. Look for a company that can provide 24-hour logistical assistance and full support for transporting your machinery on-site. It’s a good investment if they can also provide full support for transporting, supplying, fuelling, servicing, and operating it. This will ensure that your valuable equipment and other assets will be transported safely, quickly, and with ease.

Here at KEE Transport, we aim to provide uninterrupted logistical support to our clients. With a formidable fleet of low loader trailers and exceptionally trained operators, we can handle anything from 1T to 250T. For high-quality and professional hauling of your equipment and other logistical requirements, contact our team today!