Transporting Heavy Equipment: A 3 Step Guide On How To Load Safely

Heavy equipment transportation is a serious and necessary task. Businesses all over Australia rely on commercial transport to ship heavy items from one point to another, but the overall process can be quite dangerous. Done poorly, accidents can happen, ones that lead to serious injuries and heavy financial losses.

Safe and legal transportation is vital, but ensuring a safe and secure transport system is no easy task. When handling massive pieces of machinery, one must adhere to a set method of loading, transporting, and unloading protocol.

All these are practices that need to be perfected, especially since the last thing you want to worry about is an injury on the site, or perhaps irreversible damages to machine parts. There’s no other way to place it—before committing to transporting heavy equipment, preparation is key.

You must be able to load and secure everything according to regulations and manuals. Doing so minimises all possible risks, and to get started, make sure to follow the simple guide below:

Step 1: Inspection

Have your operators inspect the capacities of the truck or trailer to be used

Having the correct paperwork is a crucial part of the entire process, and to prepare for heavy machinery transport, inspections are necessary. You’ll want to ensure that every part of the vehicle you’ll be using can do the job, and will not fail halfway through the journey. Here are some items you need to check:

• Tyres, including the pressure
• Lights, both at the front and back
• Brakes
• Tie-down points, ensuring chains are connected properly
• Weight capacity

Step 2: Recruit Well

Work with the right transportation team

Moving heavy equipment may seem like an exciting task for those in the field, but such items require special skills. Accidents could be waiting around the corner, so it’s important to recruit the right team for the job. You’ll want them equipped with all the safety rules and regulations, as well as adequate skills in handling the machines in question.

It’s also important to have an oversized-load flagged, with pilot vehicles escorting the load with caution lights. This lets everyone else on the road know that an incoming truck full of heavy and possibly dangerous items is in transit, and should thereby be given ample space. Smaller vehicles failing to follow speeding limits are also at risk, but the right transport team should know when to slow down and speed up.

Step 3: Load and Secure

Proper loading makes or breaks your transportation success

Once you’ve established that you’ll be working with a well-oiled truck and a talented team, the next step is to ensure proper loading and security. You’ll need to choose your tie-down points carefully, as this will be the only thing holding you back from damaged goods and heavy losses. You’ll want your operators to secure with extra straps, closely guided by regulations.

Locking mechanisms must be triple-checked, wheels secured with wedges (wheel chocks) for a stable journey. Once everything is deemed as fixed, you will be ready to hit the road.

Transportation Services Operated By The Best In WA

Transporting heavy equipment is no easy task. Doing so necessitates the need for skill, patience, and strict protocol, along with other considerations needed before beginning the journey. The primary objective of all transport services is to deliver all the goods intact, which can only happen if safety and security are prioritized. We hope that this guide has provided you with essential information on what needs to be done, so that future transportation methods take place safely and efficiently.

For the best transport in Perth and surrounding areas, KEE Group has you covered. We offer you skilled and licensed operators ready to take on the heaviest assignments, ensuring that your loads are delivered safely and on time. Reach out to us today to learn more!