There are heavy haulers, and then there is over-dimensional freight. Unless you have been doing both types of freight shipping for a long time, you are probably one of many people that use these phrases interchangeably. If you do not know the difference, and you need to haul something really heavy, here is how you can tell:
More Weight Equals More Axles
A heavy haul is one that involves ten to fourteen axles to haul around one hundred thousand pounds. More weight means you need several more axles to haul it or you could cause some serious damage to the truck and cargo. Anything that weighs more than one hundred thousand pounds requires several more axles, a wide load trailer, and/or a custom trailer to haul the cargo.
Dimensions of Your Cargo
Know how drive-thru lanes at fast food restaurants say that there is only an overhead clearance of thirteen and one-half feet? That same height applies to over-dimensional freight. Anything taller than that counts. Also, anything that is eight and one-half feet wide and/or fifty-three feet long counts. If your oversized cargo is bigger than one or more of these dimensions, that means that you are carrying over-dimensional freight.
Large, Volatile, and/or Has to Move Very Slowly
Large in excess of the largest normal load ever moved, volatile liquids, gases, or explosives, and/or any load that has to move exceedingly slow to its destination is also over-dimensional freight. Look at the contents of the load and movement restrictions, and that should give you some really good clues. When the cargo could blow up at any second, you also have to do most of your traveling on back roads late at night. You stop to sleep during the day so that you do not risk the cargo from being hit by several other vehicles on the road.
Cargo Requires Military or Police Escorts
Some top-secret, over-dimensional cargo has to have military and/or police escorts. When you are notified in advance that your truck and trailer will be flanked by more than four wide load trucks, police cars, and military personnel, you know just how big the load is. (Examples of such cargo usually includes missiles, new fighter jets or tanks, parts of submarines, and even military tankers or battleships.) Additionally, you will either not be allowed to see what is being transported, or you will have to sign a non-disclosure form.
Share19 August 2017
Several months ago, my wonderful spouse decided we should sell one of our vehicles. At first I was worried about how we would both get around, but his main goal with this plan was to start utilizing more public transportation. Ultimately I agreed that this was a good plan, though I was still concerned with using public transit as I hadn't had many experiences with it in the past. This blog is all about the benefits and advantages of transportation besides your own personal vehicles. You actually might be surprised by how easy it is to use other transportation methods!