The benefits of transportation in business are indisputable. It enables companies to move goods quickly and efficiently around the world. Additionally, it allows countries to easily access resources like raw materials and swiftly manufacture goods, lowering production costs. However, shipping freight, especially oversized loads, can be challenging. As a result, it’s essential to know the procedure and the various steps to ensure the safe delivery of your goods.
With that in mind, here’s a guide to shipping heavy hauls:
What Is An Oversized Load?
Oversized or overweight freight surpasses the regular legal weight and/or the size of a load to be conveyed by road, air, sea, etc. The size and weight limit varies from state to state. Most states consider wide loads as trucks with more than 46,000 weight, width of over 8.5 feet, and height above 3.5 feet. Therefore, confirm your state’s dimensional requirements before transporting a heavy haul.
Types Of Oversized Loads
Some freight automatically qualifies to be a wide load. The most common ones include the following:
- Industrial equipment like turbines, boilers, generators
- Agricultural tools like harvesters, tractors, threshers
- Mobile and prefabricated homes
- Construction equipment, including cranes, storage tanks, bulldozers, backhoes
- Building elements and materials such as rafters, bridge beams
- Boats, trucks, yachts, and other vehicles
If your load falls under the above categories of freight, consider them overweight. However, for any other load types, you should first confirm before shipping them.
Tips For Shipping Oversized Loads
Below are some tips and tricks for transporting oversized loads effectively:
- Find A Reliable Shipping Company
Transporting overweight loads requires careful handling, which can be time-consuming and involves overcoming various obstacles. Fortunately, hiring a professional shipping company can save you time. These experts have the skills and experience to move heavy loads.
Moreover, a moving company can save you money. Transporting heavy loads requires special equipment or machines like cranes. Therefore, attempting to move heavy loads yourself can be costly as you may have to lease or purchase such equipment.
Other benefits of hiring a shipping company include the following:
- Minimizes Risks: Shipping oversized loads comes with different risks, such as theft, weather damage, or truck breakdowns. A heavy haul moving company has insurance and other means of protecting your goods in transit.
- Gives You Peace of Mind: Having professionals handle your cargo gives you peace of mind, knowing your goods are in safe hands and will arrive safely.
- Allows You to Focus on Other Duties in Your Business: Allowing shipping experts to handle this task saves you time which you spend on other valuable activities in your company, such as improving your productivity and profitability.
- Reduces Permit Headaches: Moving overweight cargo yourself requires obtaining necessary permits. Applying for these permits can be tedious, and you may even miss a step that risks your freight getting rejected. Thankfully, a reliable oversize moving company can do this on your behalf, allowing you to relax.
When selecting a shipping company for your heavy hauling, research the most reputable and cost-effective one to ensure your freight arrives safely and on time.
- Plan In Advance
Planning is a vital step when shipping heavy hauls. Improper planning can make the process more complicated and expensive. It’s helpful to have enough time to organize yourself. For instance, you need to determine if you can ship your cargo alone or if you may need help from professionals with custom compliance from a customs clearing agent. If you require assistance, you can choose the best company and provide early notice.
On the other hand, it’s essential to plan your route for personal shipping. Know the course you’ll take, weather conditions, research traffic, and other obstacles you may encounter. You may use logistics and route planning tools to assist you. Ensure to choose alternative routes for any emergency. Provide information about fueling locations, potential delays, travel times, and break spots for each alternative route.
Aside from that, planning allows you to gather all the necessary equipment for transportation. Some of these tools can be scarce, so early planning allows you to determine their availability and plan your shipping accordingly.
- Use A Transportation Management System
A transportation management system (TMS) is software that allows businesses to plan and execute the transportation of goods. It’s an essential tool, especially when shipping overweight loads, as it enables you to track deliveries. With TMS, you can always keep track of the location of your shipments, so you’ll know when your freight is late or hasn’t reached its destination. Additionally, it allows you to determine when service outages occur so that you may make decisive improvements.
Moreover, tracking your cargo lets you determine the time to complete a route and establish more efficient route schedules.
- Get All Permits And Insurance
Overweight and oversize loads need special permits during shipping that vary by country and state. Therefore, before sending out your cargo, ensure you have all the required permits to avoid delays and seamless transportation. Additionally, obtain insurance for your load to protect it against adverse loss or damage due to factors like theft or incorrect equipment handling.
- Organize For Travel Escorts
Some countries or states may require you to have a travel escort when shipping oversized loads. Therefore, it’s essential to know earlier and organize for it. These cars drive along your cargo, informing your driver of traffic, building, or any other hurdle ahead. Additionally, the escort can alert other motorists of the size of the approaching load, enabling them to take safety precautions.
- Consider Weather Impact
Another top consideration when shipping oversized loads is the weather. Adverse conditions like heavy rain, storms, and ice can influence the route and timing of your cargo. Additionally, these weather conditions may damage your shipment. Therefore, make proper timing to protect your freight against damage and deliver it on time.
Conclusion
Shipping heavy haul and oversized loads can be challenging compared to regular cargo. However, with adequate planning and knowledge of how to do this, you can transport your goods from one location to another safely and seamlessly. Consider hiring professional heavy movers to simplify your process and ship your freight without a hitch.
