Tag Archives: heavy machines

Ways to Avoid Accidents When Handling Heavy Equipment

heavy equipment moving

As much as they come in handy when doing heavy work, heavy machinery can be highly risky and lead to expensive accidents. Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to reduce the risk. Plenty of things can go wrong when you are moving heavy machinery, so you should be ultra-cautious when doing it.

To help you out, here are tips given by heavy machinery moving experts on how to transport the equipment safely.

Be cautious when transporting the equipment

As mentioned, when moving the equipment from one place to the other, you need to be ultra-cautious and avoid accidents. As a rule of thumb,, you must ensure that you are working with reputable machinery moving company.

Other than this, you need to:

Ensure that the transport vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating and/or gross combination weight rating are not exceeded.

Determine whether permits for oversized or over width movements will be necessary. These loads may also necessitate warning flags, lights, and oversized or wide load banners. If this is the case, get them.

Find out if there are any loading requirements for the equipment, such as the usage of locking pins, brakes, a specific transmission gear or deck wideners.

Find out where the equipment will be placed on the transport vehicle to ensure proper weight distribution and securement.

Check the equipment’s securement points for wear and damage.

If there will be little friction between the equipment and the transport vehicle (for example, metal crawler tracks on a metal deck), consider if friction devices are required. If you need them, get them before you begin the transportation.

If the item to be moved has rubber tires, check the pressure. Low pressure may cause the tie-downs to loosen.

Remove any excess aggregate, dirt, debris, or other materials that could fall or reduce friction during transport.

Have minimum tiedown requirements during transportation

If the loaded vehicle has crawler tracks or wheels, you should have at least four tie-downs to prevent the machine from moving around.
You can use a chain as two tiedowns provided it is appropriately linked to two anchor points with two binders and has slack in the middle, ensuring that a break in the chain does not affect each tiedown.
The total working load limits of the tie-downs must be at least 50% of the cargo’s weight. If the cargo weight is unknown, more tie-downs may be required.
You can attach the tie-downs near the front and back of the equipment, or
At the mounting locations of the equipment intended for that purpose.
Stop and inspect the load securement 50 miles into the journey, and every three hours or 150 miles thereafter. This is because the loads can move, and the tie-downs can become loose on bumpy roads and during acceleration and deceleration.
If you notice a problem, you should fix it before proceeding with the journey.
Be ultra-cautious when loading heavy equipment for transportation
Do not operate or load equipment you are unfamiliar with or cannot operate safely.
When possible, put the equipment against a vehicle structure to help prevent forward movement, unless weight distribution or securement considerations prevent this.
Attach securement devices cautiously to avoid damaging brakes, hydraulic lines, or cylinders.
Use edge protection to safeguard the tie-downs and equipment.
Whenever possible, utilize the equipment manufacturer’s designated connection points and adhere to the manufacturer’s securement guidelines.
Attach, each tiedown as close to the vehicle’s front and rear as possible, or to mounting points on the car built explicitly for that purpose.
Do not use any attachment point with doubtful strength or compatibility.
Chain is the primary tiedown method for large equipment and machinery. Ensure that no links are strained or have nicks.
Use direct tiedowns whenever possible, but remember that they require more tiedowns than indirect tiedowns.
Place chocks, cradles, wedges, or other measures against the wheels to keep wheeled vehicles from moving. These devices require security.

Protect the equipment after loading.

You should lower all supplementary equipment and moveable elements, such as hydraulic shovels, booms, ploughs, crane arms, etc., and secure them to the transport vehicle with tie-downs.

Accessories with locking pins or similar devices that prevent movement in any direction are not required to be secured with additional security measures.

Hydraulics alone are insufficient to secure auxiliary equipment.

If the equipment you are transporting has an articulation point, pivot, or hinge in its design, secure or constrain the vehicle or equipment to prevent articulation during transit.

Secure accessories and other things not attached to the equipment to the transport vehicle by the normal cargo securement rules.

Confirm the vehicle’s true height and breadth.

Perform all needed en-route security assessments.

Do a final inspection before transportation.

You should do the Level I inspection, a thorough 37-step examination of the vehicle and the driver’s credentials.

As part of the cargo security inspection, you should check the following:

Ensure that spare tires, loads, goods, tools, and dunnage are securely fastened and do not fall, blow, spill, leak the vehicle, or roll or shift while in transportation.
Make sure there are enough tie-downs for the weight and length of the equipment you are transporting.
Check for faulty tie-downs, which may be loose, torn, broken, crooked, or knotted.
Inspect the anchor points and buildings for damage.
Confirm that you are observing commodity-specific cargo security standards.

Know your limits

Even seasoned veterans can sometimes find transporting and operating heavy machinery difficult. Regardless of your instructions, never place yourself in a scenario that makes you uncomfortable.

If you are unsure about loading a machine on a slope or in hazardous conditions, get the help of professional heavy machinery movers VA. Staying calm and aware throughout the day will help you to be more productive and create a great working atmosphere for those around you.

When hiring moving companies, don’t hire the first one you come across. Instead, you should take your time and find a reputable one with a proven track record.

When hiring, ask them to provide proof of having previously handled a similar project. This way, you will be sure that you won’t land into problems and will have an easy time.

How to Move Heavy Machinery

If you are looking to move heavy machinery, you need to do several things to have a successful move. These things include:

Have a plan

The same way you can’t start a construction project without a plan is the same way you shouldn’t begin your heavy machinery moving without a plan.

Besides finding a reputable heavy machinery moving company, you also should find the relevant permits for the big move and the best roads to use for your move.

Have a budget

How much are you looking to spend on your move? This will be influenced by the machinery you are looking to hire the company you want to work with, among many other things.

If this is the first time you are doing it, get a professional who knows what they are doing. They will guide you from finding the right machine to the amount of money you should set aside for the project.

Use the right equipment.

The machine you use for the work is dependent on the type and size of heavy machinery you will be moving.

If the machine is large, you will need a long bed truck to transport it and vice versa.

When researching the companies to work with, you should consider the trucks that the company has and other helper machines the company has. These include:

Hand truck dolly: This makes the most sense when you are looking to move a machinery that isn’t oversized but is heavy. There are many types of moving dollies in the market, but this isn’t important. The important thing to pay attention to is the load capacity of the dolly.

Of course, it should be able to carry the weight of your machinery.

Air bearings: If you have a hefty machine weighing several tons, you should ensure that your mover has air bearings. Here the mover uses an air compressor to inflate the bearing elements connected to the platform, placed under the equipment.

Due to the continuous airflow, the bearings lift the equipment across the floor.

Although you can use the air bearings to lift any machinery, they are best suited for machines with uneven weight distribution.

Forklift: Any sensible heavy machinery moving company worth its salt should have a forklift to haul around your heavy machinery. The mover should use the forklift to load the machinery up on the truck and offload it when you get to your destination.

Other machines that a mover should have include: skates, roller skids, lift buddy, lifting straps, toe jacks, and others.

As you research, find out the tools and equipment the moving company should have to do the work properly.

As a rule of thumb, don’t work with a company without the right tools, as they will most likely mishandle your machinery. There is also the risk of the mover dropping your expensive heavy machinery and damaging it. And you don’t want this, do you?

Move at the right time.

You will have the right moving company and equipment but fail to have a pleasant experience when you move at the wrong time.

To be on the safe side, schedule your moving when there is little traffic, reducing the chances of accidents happening.

Heavy machinery isn’t allowed to travel or touch public roads, so you need to plan the right roads to use and do the moving with as little disturbance as possible.

The key to getting your moving right is to take your time and schedule enough time. Of course, due to the size and weight of the machine, you should expect delays, so the last thing you should do is start finding heavy equipment movers DC a few days before the commencement of your project.

This is because you will be in haste, which increases the chances of making costly mistakes.

The right thing to do is start planning for the move at least three months ahead. This way, you have time to find the right mover with all the right equipment. You also have an allowance on time, should delays happen.

5 Factors To Consider When Hiring Heavy Equipment Movers

heavy equipment movers

Are you looking to move a piece of heavy equipment or machine? You need to hire heavy equipment movers. For you to hire the right ones you need to pay attention to a number of qualities. They include:

Reputation

Can you trust the company that you are looking to hire? You should research and find out if the company you are looking to work with has a great reputation. You want to work with a company that transports the machine safely and delivers it at the agreed time.

For you to determine whether the company is reputable, you should ask people that have worked with the company before. This calls for you to ask the company for references. You should contact these people and hear their side.

As a rule of thumb avoid working with a company with a bad reputation as it won’t give you great services.

Experience

An experienced company will not only deliver your machine safely, it also will make your work easy. The company will help you in dealing with taxes for interstate travel, customs if they apply to you, and processing and forwarding fees that may be involved.

The company will also insure the machinery during the move thus giving you peace of mind that your machine is safe and you will be compensated in the event of an accident.

Since the company is experienced, it will advise you on the right vehicle to use in the transportation of the machine. The company will also advice you on the right hours and time to move the heavy machine.

Avoid working with a new moving company as it will make your life difficult. In addition to the inexperienced company losing your machine, it also will make your life difficult as it won’t know how to do most of the things.

For example, the company might not be able to clear customs on time, leading to delivery of the machine getting delayed.

Regardless of how cheap the new company charges you for the move, you should avoid working with it.

Versatility

Anything can happen when you are moving heavy equipment. The most common one is the heavy equipment moving truck breaking down. You want to work with a company with plenty of trucks so that when one machine breaks down, they can simply replace it and continue with the transportation.

If you work with a company with only one truck, you will be in for trouble when the truck breaks down. You will have to wait for it to be fixed before you can go on with transportation.

When you are searching for a company to work with, you should pay close attention to this as you don’t want to work with a company with only a single truck. In addition to considering the number of transportation vehicles that the company has, you also need to consider how well maintained they are. As rule of thumb, ensure that they are in top shape.

Costs

How much will it cost you to move the heavy equipment? This depends on a number of factors such as the distance you are going to cover, the weight of the machine, and many other things.

Different moving companies have different packages aimed at different services. You only need to choose one package. You should avoid the cheapest one as you often end up getting a bad experience from it. In addition to the cheap companies being inexperienced, they often don’t insure your machinery; therefore, when there is an accident, you are left on your own to fix it.

Organization

You need to determine how organized the company you are looking to work is. The good thing is that you can tell by simply visiting their offices. Is the office clean? Do they have a reception? How do they address you? You need to think about this.

You should always work with an organized heavy machinery moving VA company as heavy machinery requires a lot of planning and there is no way a disorganized company will be able to successfully pull it off.

Heavy Machinery Movers: 6 Tips To Consider When Moving Heavy Machinery

heavy machinery movers

Are you looking to move heavy machinery? You need to consider a number of tips for you to do it properly. Here are some of these tips as given by heavy machinery movers:

Have a plan

This is the first thing you should do. You need to have a clear plan of how you are going to move the machine from one place to another. You need to know the equipment that you will use in the transportation. You also should know the company that you will work with.

Note that you will have an easy time moving the machine when you work with a reputable company that has been in the industry for a long time and has all the necessary tools to make the process as hassle-free as possible.

Will you be moving the machine by yourself? You need to know the right people that you will contact to make it possible.

Have a clear schedule

Having a plan isn’t enough—you also need to have a schedule. You need to fix a date when you will move the machine. When making your schedule, pay attention to the transportation deadline. Your schedule should make it possible for you to transport your machinery and ensure that it reaches the destination before the deadline.

You should leave enough time for you to make the move. Remember, you will be dealing with a heavy machinery and you don’t want to move it in haste.

Carefully plan for the move

Once you are ready to execute the move, you should prepare for it. The first thing you should check is the manufacturer’s manual. The manual will guide you on the measures that you should take to avoid accidents when making the move.

You will learn how to disconnect batteries, secure loose parts, empty the engine fluids, among many other things. To be on the safe side, follow the manual to the tee.

You also need to get the necessary permits that will allow you to transport the equipment without getting on the wrong side of the law. Work with the transporter so that you can secure the permits as early as possible so that you can prevent delays or face legal complications.

Finally, you need to cover the vulnerable parts. These are parts that can be damaged by rain and wind. Remember, the heavy equipment will be hauled in the open air and the last thing you want is the parts being damaged by cold or heat.

When preparing the machine for transportation, ensure that it’s as comfortable as possible. If necessary, transport it using bubble wraps and thermocols. You also should insulate and provide cushioning to the equipment.

Understand the expenses involved

You need money to move the equipment from one place to another. Since you will be moving a large object, you may have to pay a hefty fee for it.

To avoid surprises, you should have a budget for it. Know the exact amount of money that the moving company will be charging. Are there additional costs such as storage or any other? You should know about it. If they are there, budget for them.

Use the right kind of transportation

How are you going to transport the machine? You need to think about it as different machines require different transportation methods. Is the machine fragile? Is it too heavy? Think about it.

The distance that you will be moving the machine should also inform you about the right transport method that you should use. If moving it only a short distance, you can use hydraulic skates and moving sets. On the other hand, if you will be moving it over a long distance, you will have to use a truck.

Ensure that the form of transportation allows you to transport the machine fast and safe.

Keep the lines of communication open

The last thing you want when undertaking the heavy transportation is miscommunication. You don’t want to hear that your machinery was delivered to the wrong place. If you have hired a heavy machinery moving DC company, you should regularly contact them and know where they are.

Do you know of a better route that they can use to reach the destination fast? Keep them on the know.