Cheapest Way To Ship Heavy Equipment

Francisca Olive / October 2022

Finding a reputable company to ship heavy equipment can be scary, especially if you don’t have a business connection with a reliable shipping company that will take care of your equipment and not overcharge you for their services.

There are many factors that may influence the cost of moving heavy equipment. When looking for the cheapest method to ship heavy equipment, you must consider if the cheapest price is the best option. Experienced, licensed, and insured shipping companies will guarantee that your heavy equipment is transported in accordance with your requirements.

Heavy equipment shipping costs are mainly affected by four factors:

Dimensions of your Heavy Equipment
Distance the Heavy Equipment needs to move
Loading Assistance and Disassembly
Trailer Type Used in Transport

When planning to ship your heavy equipment, the cost might vary substantially based on these factors, so it’s crucial to work with a reputable shipping company to avoid a disastrous outcome.

Dimensions of Your Heavy Equipment

The shipping cost may be accurately determined based on the accurate dimensions of the heavy equipment. Therefore, providing accurate dimensions is the most critical factor in determining how much it will cost to transport heavy equipment. If you want to ship heavy equipment for the lowest price possible, you need to ensure that the dimensions you provide are accurate.

The majority of shipping companies make an effort to keep their shipments at or below the legal load dimensions for:

Length = 48 to 53 feet
Width = 8 feet 6 inches
Height = 13 feet 6 inches
Weight = 80,000 lbs

The dimensions listed above include the trailer. This is why the transport company must be aware of the equipment’s length, width, height, and weight with all attachments. Whenever a piece of equipment exceeds permitted load dimensions, costs might increase owing to additional licenses, escorts, and restricted routes.

In order to ensure that nothing important is missing that might have an effect on the estimated price, it is recommended that you send pictures of the heavy equipment to your shipping company.

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Distance the Heavy Equipment Needs to Move

Shipping delays cost everyone. Therefore, whenever assigning a shipment to a shipping company, it is important to clearly clarify your requirements. The following types of information should be included:

Your heavy equipment’s origin
Your heavy equipment’s destination
Heavy equipment pickup date
Heavy equipment delivery date
Your level of timing flexibility

If you have a short delivery window for heavy equipment moving more than 400 miles from one major metropolitan area to another, you should expect to pay a premium rate. The more flexible you are with your pick-up and delivery dates, the better pricing the shipping company may provide you, depending on their fleet’s location.

Large trailers find it difficult and time-consuming to traverse congested metropolitan regions, which are often affected by road hazards and rush hours. The longer the distance, the higher the chance that the driver may encounter difficulty.

Special permissions and travel routes also need to be taken into consideration if your heavy equipment exceeds the dimensions of a legal load. Since each state or country has its own regulations, crossing state or country borders makes this harder and more expensive.

Loading Assistance and Disassembly

Always remember that moving heavy equipment might require additional time and there are much fewer carriers that can transport heavy equipment. If your equipment can’t move on its own or needs to be taken apart, you can expect to pay more because the shipping company will have to spend more time getting it ready.

If you have disassembly and loading equipment like a loading dock, forklift, cranes, etc., it is always important to inform your transport company about it before the material day. By providing the equipment, you may be able to save a lot of money.

Trailer Type Used in Transport

The use of trailers is a significant factor in ensuring that your heavy equipment stays within the permitted load dimensions. The vast majority of heavy equipment is transported using one of these three kinds of trailers: flatbeds, step decks, or lowboys—RGN’s. When looking for the most cost-effective method to ship heavy equipment, the extra cost you will need to take into consideration is the price per mile that will be charged for hauling the trailer. This cost will increase in proportion to the size of the trailer.

Conclusion

Shipping heavy equipment may be expensive, both in terms of time and money. It’s a time-consuming procedure with many factors that must be carefully considered to keep supply chains running smoothly. As a result, there is no substitute for engaging specialists to create and implement effective shipping solutions.

William Thomas

Heavy Transport Specialist

Being able to lead a team of such talented logistics agents has been a wonderful experience over the past ten years. If you would like to know anything more about the heavy equipment transport services we offer, don't hesitate to give us a call!