For any major flatbed trucking or related heavy haul need you’re dealing with, chances are you’ve already done at least some preparation. There are a few important areas to cover when arranging trucking or hauling, including basic details your trucking partner will need to both provide you with an adequate cost estimate and to prepare for the job itself.
At Tim Savage Trucking, we’re here to help clients with each and every one of these details as they inquire about any of our flatbed hauling, belt trailer hauling, hazmat and petroleum hauling, and many related services. We’ll get your freight where it needs to be, when it needs to be there – and this starts with getting some very simple information from you about your loads and what they’re comprised of. Here’s a quick primer on the three most important variables you should always know about your items before you reach out to our team for trucking partnership questions.
Dimensions and Weight
For starters, you’ll want to know the basic dimensions and weight for all of your major items, plus what these combine to for your full load. These are the foundational elements of any trucking job, helping us determine exactly which sort of rig and equipment will be required for your needs.
There are some restrictions here, most of which tie back to legal areas within Utah or surrounding states. For instance, there are generally weight restrictions of 20,000 pounds per axle for most loads, though this may vary in certain areas. There are also basic restrictions for height, width and length – if your items exceed these, they may jump into the oversized category (more on this below).
Item Value
Heavy haul companies like ours are required by law to carry significant cargo insurance, and this is to protect clients like you in case of any loss or damage. We strongly recommend assessing the specific monetary value of your items being hauled – if they exceed the insurance of your hauling partner, you might consider a different one that has a higher insurance amount. Speak to our team for more details on this area.
Oversized Items
We mentioned oversized items above, and they’re a slightly different category. Items over 14 feet, wider than nine feet or exceeding certain length requirements (these vary depending on the vehicle in question) will be considered oversized.
In addition, there are even some items that don’t fit in this category. If the item and the vehicle have a combined length over 135 feet, for instance, they’ll be counted as a “superload” that requires an entirely different shipping permit. This same category may also apply to certain weight levels or width numbers.
For more on the basic details to be aware of before linking up with a flatbed hauling or any other trucking partner, or to learn about any of our trucking or transport services, speak to the staff at Tim Savage Trucking today.