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Excavator Hauling

in Case Study

On a cool late afternoon I was prepared to document the loading of an excavator. Excavator hauling is something our drivers have done countless times. Our driver Steve is experienced and very friendly. He pulled into an empty lot that was ironically previously owned by a CAT dealership that was taken out by the 2011 Joplin tornado. Steve pulled his 5 axle rig and double drop rgn trailer in big u-turn and it came to a dusty stop. The first step was for Steve to remove his RGN (removable goose neck) to expose the ramp for the excavator to drive up on.
rgn removal
This is not a one step process or as easy had he owned a hydraulic rgn, click here to read our article on double drop trailers. First, he must detach from the 5th wheel remove the pins and collars and then reattach the tractor to the trailer and drive off with just the rgn portion of the trailer. The excavator is then driven on the trailer. Because this excavator was 8’6″ wide, the max legal width, it had to be driven on with precision (read here about dimensions). The gentleman driving nailed it on the first try.
excavator loaded
The yellow reflector light on the trailer marks the center of the trailer and the driver sits on the center of gravity of the excavator, so having the two line up puts it about perfect for weight distribution among the axles. With the excavator loaded the other gentleman left while Steve, the driver, continued his duties. He secured the excavator using chains and binders on all 4 corners of the tracks and he chained the boom as well per the law, see working load limit and FMCSA.
excavator chained
Steve then reattached the RGN and also did the following:

  • Removed any dirt and debris that came off the tracks and onto the trailer.
  • Turned the mirrors in so that the load would remain legal hauling dimensions.
  • Covered the exhaust with duck tape to protect the internal parts from highway speed winds.

    • excavator exhaust
    excavator hauling
    Here is a video of the actual loading.

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    Heavy Haul TruckingMy name is Travis Smith and I've been working in the trucking business since 1994 and with Heavy Haul Trucking since 2001. Our office knows about oversize, heavy and specialty loads and how to get your load exactly where you need it, safely and on time.

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