When and Why You Need a Lowboy
Low boy trailers are used to move construction equipment that can move under its own power. When equipment can move under its own power it is called “Roll On Roll Off”. The second most popular loads for lowboy trailers are tall or very high loads.
Low profile trailers are easy to load and unload, even if its in the middle of a forest.
When your business has to transport or ship to a customer a large piece of freight or machinery that cannot be divided into smaller parts what will you do?
You no longer have to worry about transporting your equipment safely when you rely on the professional services provided by us to handle your over sized shipments.
We can provide heavy haul and over-sized hauling using a range of specialized oversized trailers that will accommodate even the largest and heaviest of equipment.
Several of the notable and well known lowboy trailer manufacturers are: Fontaine, Globe, Overbilt and Talbert. When needing specific weight capacities or dimensions of a lowboy, it is always the best and most reliable to search the manufacturer’s website for trailer dimensions and weight capacity.
Some times you will see the word “expandable” in the description of a lowboy trailer, this should really be “extendable”. An extendable lowboy trailer can be expanded to carry a load that is very long, a good example is a wind turbine balde. To expand a lowboy extendable trailer, the trailer locking pin is released; the brakes are applied to the trailer; the tractor pulls the front end of the trailer until the trailer expands to the required length, then the locking pin is set back in to lock the trailer length. So now the trailer has extended its overall length, and can haul longer loads.
Lowboys Are Great For Moving
- Excavators
- Loaders
- Dozers
- Compactors
- Skid Steers
- Wheel Loaders Backhoes
- Rough Terrain Cranes
Lowboy Freight by Manufacturers
- Komatsu
- Kobelco
- Volvo
- Ingersol-Rand
- Mitsubishi
- Bomag
- Dynapac
- Blaw-Knox
- Prentice
Lowboy Trucking
Is your company a construction, industrial or other commercial business needing to transport heavy equipment or supplies to a job site. Or did you purchase heavy equipment or heavy items from an auction or sale by owner?
Now you need to ship the item on a lowboy trailer. We offer the perfect solution to moving larger, taller and/or heavier freight.
Additionally we provide full lowboy shipping service for all commercial, government and industrial relocation projects.
If you a planning on purchasing at an auction, contact us to get a lowboy hauling rate for the transportation of your planned auction purchase.
Shipping loads that are very high or tall will add extra challenges to the hauling of such. Primarily the loads will require permits and may have to travel on designated routes with pilot cars and bucket trucks, if overhead obstructions have to be cleared. All of this will also add time to the overall transit time.
Use our quick quote form for a free and market spot rate price based lowboy quote. Speak to a live lowboy freight specialist at (800) 972 8484.
- Save Your Valuable Time
- Leverage Our Experience
- Easy, Convenient and Comprehensive Customer Support
- Eliminate Uncertainty, Delays and Cost Overruns
- Market Based Spot Prices
Common Lowboy Cargo Control
Below are some of the common cargo control components used on lowboy trailers to make sure your cargo arrives safely and in the same condition as it was when it left the pickup location. Various manufacturers have various options, however the list below covers the common options.
- 4 way chain slot center strip. This is located down the middle of the load well for securing 1/2 and 3/8 chain
- Lift/Tie Down Locational Devices. This is used for Military Applications/Aircraft Hauling
- Flush Mount D Rings
- Pipe Spools
- Recessed Mount D Rings
- Rub Rail
- Sliding Winch Nylon Straps
- Stake Pockets
- Twist Locks
Lowboy Trucking Company Case Studies
A JCB telehandler was hauled from Denver to Los Angeles for a nationwide construction firm on a Fontaine lowboy trailer.
A Liebherr LTM 1120 crane was shipped from Denver to Port of Los Angeles, California.
Verified By Shipper
The shipper should verify the machine works properly especially the power-train, hydraulics and both service and parking brake. Someone who is thoroughly knowledgeable with the machine should test it. In the cases of powered machinery it will be driven onto the lowboy trailer under its own power.
Suggested Trailer Type
In most cases when you provide us with the weight of the machine and the overall dimensions one of our lowboy heavy haul freight consultants will know what type of trailer is required to haul your load. If you have suggestions as to other possible suitable trailers let our heavy haul freight consultants know.
Are Permits Required
Providing accurate weight of the load and accurate width, height and length, will allow our freight consultants to assess if a permit will be required for the travel route.
When permits are required this may also signal that pilot cars may be required too. If the load is very tall then bucket trucks may be required to temporarily move overhead obstructions, such as traffic signals or utility lines. However the staff at Great Western Transportation is well aware of all permit requirements for oversize/over-dimensional (OS/OD) loads.
Lowboy Rates and Quotes
Lowboy hauling rates and quotes vary on a number of factors. A key factor is if permits will be required to transport the load. Permits may be required if two major factors are over a specific dimensional or weight limit as set by states. When permits are required for oversize maximum limits being exceed, then there may be a need for pilot cars to follow the load behind or drive in front of the load to make sure there is overhead clearance.
Always book lowboy trailers well in advance to get your freight delivered on schedule and within your budget.
Great Western Transportation always provides competitive market based rates.
The price to purchase a lowboy trailer varies depending on the specifications, year of the model and overall mechanical condition. Because lowboy trailers are designed to be durable and have a long lasting usable lifespan, means they are more expensive than regular flatbed trailers. Additionally the constant maintenance of brakes, axles, wheels and tires adds to the overall maintenance costs of a lowboy trailer.
Thus, when comparing the rates of a lowboy trailer versus the rates of a standard flatbed trailer the lowboy rates will be higher. In terms of numbers there are simply less lowboy trailers out there all together.
Load Preparation Checklist
- Owner’s Manual
Refer to the owner’s manual for things that must be done prior to shipping your equipment. Newer equipment has a manufacturers website from which manuals will most likely be available. For older equipment search model number with the words manual or pdf included in the search phrase.
Use the owner’s manual when removing parts of the machine to reduce the weight or overall dimensions.
- Cover and Protect
Usually heavy equipment is quite resilient to the elements of the weather, however when an open trailer that is traveling 55 miles per hour down the road, extra protection may be needed. This is especially true for the interior of a cab.
- Pick Up and Drop Off Locations
Provide ample room at both pick up and delivery locations to load the tractor-trailer. Generally the trailer with the tractor have to have room to drive in and load the machinery.
If there is a need for loading docks, ramps or cranes for loading and unloading you should communicate this immediately when booking the tractor trailer. Plus provide as much specific requirements as possible.
- Port and Export Preparations
When the delivery destination is a US port for loading onto a ship for foreign export, make sure the equipment has been power washed and is cleaned thoroughly. Additionally there should be no leaking fluids. Equipment that is not cleaned properly will not be loaded onto a ship for export and additional costs will be incurred to clean it. If there are leaking fluids such as oil or anti-freeze, this will cause major delays for repairs and significant additional costs.
- Ask Questions Well in Advance
Vast experience and background in specialized trucking reveals one of the most common issues in heavy haul trucking delays is shippers not asking questions that would have prevented delays. When you as the shipper are in doubt about a question regarding shipping heavy freight, always ask and make sure you fully understand the answer.
A lowboy trailer or lowbed trailer is a type of flatbed that sits very close to the ground and can haul very heavy loads. Lowboy trailers are used once the load is in excess of 55,000 pounds. Most lowboy trailers are between 48′ to 53′ long and 96″ to 102″ wide. Occasionally, lowboy trailers are made 108″ wide. These units are referred to as a 9′ wide. Nearly all lowboy trailers are made of heavy gauge steel. Great Western Transportation has access to an extensive selection lowboy trailers to fit your hauling requirements.
Lowboy trailers are nearly exclusively used to haul heavy loads. Because a lowboy trailers is so strong, it is also very heavy, so overweight permits are often necessary.
Common Lowboy Trailer Applications
Lowboy Trailers are generally used to haul the following products:
- Construction Equipment
- Heavy tanks, or other military equipment
- Forklifts
- Heavy steel coils
- Transformers
- Heavy Generators
- Any product that is excessively heavy or tall.
Lowboy trailers generally have 3 or more axles to disperse the weight of heavier loads. A common add on for a lowboy is a flip axle, which can flip up and lay on the rear deck, or flip down and create an extra axle for additional weight dispersion. Tags: #heavyhaul #flatbedtrucking #trucking #transportation
