What You Might Not Know About Power-Only Trucking With Us

In some cases, you might have your load all ready to go on a flatbed, trailer, container, or specialty pod. All you need is the power to get it where it needs to go!

Power-only trucking is more common than you might think. It’s used in a variety of industries for a variety of products and materials. Did you know these things about power-only trucking?

It’s Cost-Efficient

If you already own the container or flatbed, you’re only paying for the power! This may be something to consider if you regularly require long-haul trips. It might be more economical to invest in your own trailer to save money over the long term.

Drivers Are Trained and Experienced

When you hire the truck, you hire the driver—saving you the hassle of finding someone yourself. Your power-only trucking driver is a well-trained professional. He or she has experience hauling a wide variety of regular and oversize loads over long distances in a variety of weather conditions. You can rest assured your load is in good hands.

Refrigerated Freight and LTL Trucking

Lots of Industries Need Power-Only Trucking

All sorts of products, materials, and equipment need to be transported—even yours! There’s no such thing as an unusual request for power-only trucking. Containers and trailers are loaded with medical equipment, set materials and decor for the entertainment industry, machinery, construction materials, and so much more. We’ve worked with government organizations, individuals, and businesses of all kinds.

The Truck is Taken Care of For You

Owning your own truck can come with a lot of headaches. You never know when something might break down and delay your shipment. Repairs can be expensive. With power-only trucking, you manage the container, but the truck is taken care of. The vehicles are carefully maintained to prevent any unexpected breakdown—and if that worst-case scenario does occur, it is handled quickly and efficiently with no cost to you.

You Maintain More Control

You have control over when and how you load your own trailer or container. Whether you need a one-way or round trip haul, just let us know and we’ll get it where it needs to go across the United States and Canada. We’re committed to offering safe, reliable, cost-efficient transportation for loads of any size.

 

April 3, 2019 | | Category: Power Only Trucking

Transporting Heavy Machinery to the Job Site

Driving a backhoe, bulldozer, or tractor down the highway isn’t the best way to get it where it needs to go. Doing so would be slow and expensive; they’re not made for traveling long distances on their own. And of course, some heavy machinery doesn’t have its own wheels and engine—it’s just big! When you need to get heavy machinery from its home base to the construction site, trade show, farm field, or anywhere else, you need heavy haul trucking or, possibly, flatbed trucking.

Flatbed trucking works for smaller, lighter machines, like small tractors or boats. If you’re transporting heavy machinery that exceeds the size and weight limitations of flatbed trucking, heavy haul trucking is required.

Heavy Haul Trucking for Transporting Heavy Machinery

There are a variety of materials and pieces of equipment that may require heavy haul trucking. These include:

  • Cranes
  • Tractors
  • Excavators
  • Generators
  • Planes
  • Boats
  • Turbines
  • Bridge Beams
  • Compressors
  • Manufactured Homes
  • And More

Do You Need Heavy Haul Trucking?

For these massive loads, you need a truck and trailer that can manage the size and weight. If the load is oversize (a term that is defined differently from state to state), you may need certified Pilot/Escort Vehicle Operators to accompany your load. These professionals help ensure the safe transport of your heavy machinery by managing the trip with consideration to other motorists as well as restrictions you might face because of bridges, roads, wires, signs, and more.

Oversize and overweight loads may require special permits, as well. Again, these vary from state to state. At Great Western Transportation, we manage the logistics of your trip, from determining the right truck and trailer for your equipment to obtaining proper permission, permits, and escort vehicles as required in every state and county along the trip.

If you’re unsure as to whether your load requires heavy haul trucking or if you can manage with flatbed trucking, contact us. Over the years, we’ve transported all sorts of heavy machinery and can help you determine the safest, most cost-efficient way for doing so while keeping within all legal requirements and regulations.

 

April 2, 2019 | | Category: Flatbed, Heavy Haul

Flatbed Trucking for Your Construction Needs

You have a lot of options when it comes to moving your construction materials from source to job site and anywhere in between, and flatbed trucking is often the best of those options. There’s a reason you see so many loads of lumber, steel, scaffolding, and heavy equipment going down the highway on a flatbed!

Construction materials are often large and sometimes oddly shaped, making them both difficult to fit and load into an enclosed space. Flatbed trucking solves these problems and more. Take a look at some of the major advantages of using a flatbed for your construction materials and other large project needs:

Loading Options

Instead of having to shove everything through a door, a flatbed allows for easy loading—and unloading—from all sides via crane or forklift. There’s also no need for a dock: you can load directly from the ground. For transporting tractors, forklifts, or other equipment, the vehicles can easily be driven up a ramp onto the flatbed.

Variety of Sizes

You won’t get stuck hauling a small load on a giant truck. Instead, you can choose the flatbed that’s right for your load. From a basic flatbed with three options for lengths to dropdeck and double dropdeck flatbeds and extendible options that stretch to up to 70 feet long, you’ll be able to choose the flatbed that best suits your needs. Not sure which one will work best? Our trailer selection guide will help you choose, and we’re always available to answer your questions and advise you about regulations and limitations for your loads.

Security

Flatbed loads are carefully secured with chains or straps to prevent them from shifting or falling off in transit. The load is safe, and so is everyone around it! If there’s a possibility that the chains/straps themselves could damage the load, it is additionally secured with V-boards to protect against that. Tarps can be used to protect the load from the elements.

Flatbed trucking is your most versatile option when it comes to transporting a wide variety of products and materials:

  • Raw Materials
  • Concrete
  • Mining and Refinery Equipment
  • Solar Panels
  • Farm Equipment
  • Heavy Machinery
  • Auto Parts
  • And Much More

With more than 100 years of combined trucking experience, our team is proud to offer efficient, professional, and affordable transportation. Call us today to learn more about our flatbed trucking services.

March 29, 2019 | | Category: Flatbed

Got a Heavy Haul to Move? Call Great Western Transportation!

We’re the Solution for Moving Heavy-Haul Loads

With Great Western Transportation, you don’t have to invest in the equipment you only need to transport supplies and equipment to the next job. No matter where your company, or job site, is located, we have a nationwide network to expedite transit times. Our pricing is extremely competitive, and we strive to deliver the best in customer service.

Why use Great Western Transportation

Heavy hauling shipping can require special trucks and trailers equipped to move the load size you need to be moved. We know the route restrictions for heavy hauls. Not to mention the various permit requirements that vary between states, cities and other municipalities. There are more requirements with heavy hauling to include: flags, lights, signs, holiday restrictions, and even running times allowed per state.

The Fines Can be Devastating

Moving heavy haul loads without the proper trucks, trailers, and permits can leave your company with devastating fines, as found on Truckers Report, “$57,000.00”! The team at Great Western Transportation will never allow a load to move without proper permits and approvals.

2019 International Roadcheck is June 4-6, 2019

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has been holding annual road checks throughout North America since 1988. This year’s three-day inspection period is set for June 4-6, 2019. At Great Western Transportation, we take safety very seriously, and your loads will be shipped with extreme caution as the CVSA requires.

Leave the Heavy Haul Headaches to Our Experienced Team

The team at Great Western Transportation is here to take the heavy-haul headaches out of your project planning. When you need our service, your equipment is on the move shortly after you have approved of our quote, and the details are confirmed. We make it easy for you to spend your time getting your project underway and on to the next. We’re always happy to be your complete trucking service.

March 26, 2019 | | Category: Heavy Haul

The Logistics Of Shipping Equipment You Bought At An Auction

Auctions are a great way for your company to acquire construction equipment. Online auction websites and professional auctioneers help you find reliable used equipment at good prices, but it won’t do you any good to outbid someone for your dream excavator if you then have to spend too much on bringing it back to your warehouse or you can’t pick it up. There are a few things you need to consider about the logistics of moving equipment before you place your bid.

Size And Shape

Most construction equipment is pretty big and oddly-shaped. They may best fit on flatbeds, as the open sides make it easier to load and you don’t have to worry about the top of the item scraping the ceiling. Occasionally, equipment is so large that it will need special permits to be carried out. In those instances, you might have to spring for Heavy Haul Trucking. Recording the weight, height, width, and length of any item that you are considering purchasing will allow you to assess what type of transportation you will need, which will in turn let you pick a transportation company that can handle the item you are ordering.

The Seller’s Window

The people selling the items generally want their wares off their premises as soon as possible. After all, they have to pay to store their inventory, and the thing is taking up a lot of room that could be put to other uses. They may give you as little as 24 to 48 hours to pick up the equipment, and you will have to coordinate with them to make sure that you get your purchase on a truck within the specified time frame. Having the appropriately sized truck and properly licensed driver ready to roll as soon as you make your purchase will help.

If you are looking to buy some of your construction equipment at an auction, you will want to hire a trucking company that will be able to handle what you order quickly, and Great Western Transportation prides itself in being one of those companies. We have the experience in heavy haul trucking for oversized construction equipment and a variety of flatbed trailers that are ideal for transporting them. Before you buy at auction, contact us for a quote.

March 22, 2019 | | Category: Flatbed, Heavy Haul

3 Things You Should Know About LTL Refrigerated Trucking

LTL Trucking or less-than-truckload trucking is a great solution if you don’t need a full truck to transport your goods. But LTL refrigerated trucking is a service that’s much more specific. You opt for LTL refrigerated trucking when you need perishable items transported, but they don’t require a full truck in order to do so. In this situation, your items share truck space with other freight.

Here are 3 important things to know about LTL refrigerated trucking:

SHIPS SMALL QUANTITIES OF PERISHABLES AT A TIME

Trucking companies that offer LTL trucking services don’t require a full truckload or trailer of contents. They either offer smaller trailers containing other freight or they’ll send full-size trailers with multiple shippers’ goods.

LTL refrigerated trucks can be useful when you need to ship sensitive freight, but can’t afford to wait to fill an entire truckload because goods awaiting shipment will perish in the meantime.

Refrigerated Frozen Chilled Freight TL LTL Shipping Trucking

CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ARRANGE

Refrigerated LTL trucking operates on a very limited and specific schedule. Because items that are perishable require refrigerated trucking, it can be harder to schedule a shipment when sensitive freight must share a trailer with other sensitive freight. This means that LTLs must find multiple clients whose products need to be shipped within the same timeline, at the same temperature range. For example, you can’t put frozen vegetables on the same truck as produce only requires refrigeration. Frozen products must be grouped with similar items. The same goes for any other products that require similar temperatures to stay fresh. This is not always easy to accomplish and takes a very experienced LTL to execute effectively.

IS TIME-SENSITIVE

Perishable items must be delivered quickly. If not, clients can lose a considerable amount of money due to wasted product. It’s best to go with a company that offers expedited transit times.

At Great Western Transportation, we handle time-sensitive LTL refrigerated shipments throughout the Continental United States and Canada. Our experienced drivers will deliver your chilled, frozen and temperature controlled truckload and LTL shipments at competitive rates. For more information about our trucking services, don’t hesitate to contact us or give us a call at 1-800-972-8484 today.

March 14, 2019 | | Category: Refrigerated Trucking

Four Pointers to Identifying an Effective Dry Freight Trucking Company

For any shipper, finding a good dry freight trucking company is the number one priority in ensuring their goods are in good hands. On the other hand, trucking companies have the sole responsibility to ensure the security and safety of your cargo or risk facing possible liability charges.

To avoid getting poor transportation services and to ensure the trucking company of your choice will satisfy your transportation needs, here are some of the pointers to look out for in a good dry freight trucking services.

The available networks in place

Sometimes your freight may not come from the same geographical position. Your customers may not all originate from the same location. A good dry freight trucking services company should have extensive networks in place to facilitate transportation of your cargo even across borders.

Consistent monitoring

One of the ways trucking businesses can gain the trust of the customer is to involve them in the shipping process wholly. The trucking company should have surveillance measures in place to track and monitor the drivers in real-time to know where the freight has reached at any particular time. The information then gets relayed to the customer who in turn feels their cargo is in good hands.

Flexibility in size and prices

Sometimes the freight many not come as bigger as last time. Your trucking company should have the means to get you dry freight vans in different sizes for competitive prices depending on your load size.

Flexibility in service provision

Some companies have a policy about pickup points and dropping points. Your trucking company should facilitate picking your freight from wherever it is at any time to ensure efficiency and customer satisfaction. It will not only increase convenience, but it will also save you more cost to transport the freight to a pickup point.

 

 

 

March 7, 2019 | | Category: General

The Benefits of Refrigerated Trucking And Why Your Business Might Need It

Refrigerated trucking is a specialized form of trucking service designed specifically for safely transporting perishable items, such as foodstuff. Businesses that need to have grocery items shipped from one location to another (even if it’s a short distance), need refrigerated trucking. In this post, we’ll introduce you to the benefits of refrigerated trucking and why you business might need it.

Refrigerated Trucking Company

  1. Protection: If you are transporting items like dairy products, you need a transportation vehicle that can safely get said items to a particular destination without going bad and getting spoiled. A refrigerated truck will use the proper temperatures so the items do not get damaged (like vegetables that could be exposed to severely cold temperatures). Finally, a refrigerated truck will protect against harsh weather elements that likely would impact the quality and safety of the items being shipped.
  2. It Can Be Used For Multiple Purposes: Typically the first thing that comes to mind when hearing about refrigerated trucking is perishable items like dairy, prepared meals, and meats. However, refrigerated trucking serves a wide variety of purposes and isn’t just for businesses that sell grocery items. If you need to ship such things as plants, personal care products, or pharmaceuticals, you simply can’t transport these things in a traditional vehicle. They’ll need to be shipped in a refrigerated truck to fully protect each item from damage.
  3. These Things Will Always Need to be Transported: Produce and other such items will always be in high demand, thus they will always need to be transported to and from different places. To fully protect your business and the customers who are buying your products, it is imperative that you keep all items fully protect during the transportation process.

Are you in need of a refrigerated truck or is there another trucking service you require? Don’t hesitate to contact us today!

March 5, 2019 | | Category: Refrigerated Trucking
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