Transporting heavy equipment and machinery is no easy task but making sure you have completed all pre-emptive measures is the first step to avoid any unnecessary injury or damage of machinery.

1. Risk Assessment

The first step is to conduct a risk assessment. If there were to be any issues during the transportation process, risk assessments allow you to prove how detailed and thorough your fleet management processes are - not to mention it makes permit applications easier. Documentation should include a full operation and transportation timeline, weight loads, relevant project risks and how they have been managed.

2. Machinery Dimensions

Next, make sure you know the weight, dimensions and any other hazardous information regarding your machinery that the service company should be aware of for the move. Knowing what size your cargo is will help determine the type of transportation service you need, as machinery is often bulky with non-conforming shapes. If the transfer is overseas, heavy machinery can be easily mis-declared, and some domestic moving services may only specialise in small or large cargo moves.

3. Inspect your hauling vehicle

Before you load on the heavy machinery, you’ll need to do an inspection of the hauling vehicle. A complete inspection should include the following:

• Weight: Make sure that the machinery adheres to the weight capacity of the truck or trailer.
• Brakes: The oversized load will affect the vehicles’ breaking abilities, so make sure all break functions are working smoothly.
• Tires: Heavy machinery will affect the condition of tires quickly, so make sure the tires are in good condition and that the pressure is high.
• Lights: All front, breaking and indicator lights should work without any problem.
• Tie-down points: Check that the load will be able to be properly secured on the transport vehicle. Any machinery with attachments need to have them removed and secured separately. Make sure that there are at least accessible 4 tie-down points for the machinery to be correctly secured.

4. Loading the machinery

Before you can send your cargo on its way, you need to be able to safely load it onto the transportation vehicle. Here are a couple more steps to make sure that the loading process is able to go smoothly:

• Clear the surrounding area: Make sure that the area around the loading zone is clear of debris or of anything that could obstruct the loading process.
• Designate duties: Giving all involved team members clear instruction will reduce the risk of accidents occurring due to confusion. Ensure that anyone not involved in the loading process is safe and away from any potential hazard.
• Line up the machine and ramp: As the machinery is being loaded onto the truck or trailer, it’s centre of gravity will shift and the vehicle’s weight will be in a point of limbo. Continue loading the machine on slow and steady.

Chain down the cargo: Make sure the vehicle and its attachments are properly secured and stable so that the transportation process is able to continue smoothly.

Contact Vernice Today

With over 90 items of plant equipment in our fleet, Vernice Pty Ltd has been involved in many large-scale machinery moves. Our extensive experience as civil contractors in domestic earthmoving projects has led us to have an excellent reputation for outstanding teamwork and commitment. We proudly service areas across Western Australia, including Perth, Toodyay, Lancelin, Fremantly and Joondalup. Feel free to call us for a free quote or for any other enquiries regarding your next earthmoving project!