Do’s and Don’ts of Transporting Heavy Equipment

Transporting heavy equipment involves safety and legal considerations. Hire professional machinery movers every time to avoid injury and additional costs. Here are some “dos and don’ts” for transporting equipment.

DO:

1. Pre-inspect all equipment for safety and regulatory compliance. (If possible, have assistant or second worker double check and confirm.)
2. Log and report damages or other potential abnormalities immediately before continuing, and consult with your supervisor.
3. Use a spotter when lifting heavy equipment on or off a large transportation vehicle.
4. Ensure that proper warning signs, flaggers and barricades are in place to keep the public out of harm’s way when on or off the road.
5. Watch the road for overhead obstructions such as broken trees or out of place power lines.
6. Secure all loaded cargo by double-checking restraints and positioning within the vehicle. (Have you placed the equipment properly and secured or locked it into place?)

DON’T:

1. Forget to wear your seat belt and to keep it on at all times– no matter what you’re driving (e.g. truck, loader, grader, or bulldozer).
2. Drive above the speed limit. A heavy machinery vehicle will roll over with lethal threat and contents may fall out and explode or contaminate the environment.
3. Allow fellow riders or passengers to accompany you, unless the vehicle’s design and regulations permit it.
4. Begin to re-fuel until you have fully checked the surrounding area for possible ignition sources or someone smoking.
5. Run your engine in closed areas unless sufficient ventilation allows for it. (Remember: It’s always better to be safe than sorry.)
6. Merge lanes until fully certain that blind spots are accounted for and you’ve signaled your lane change with plenty of warning. (Allow enough space to turn ahead of time. Careless and irresponsible driving can lose you your license, job, or life.
7. Let any of your mounted equipment – or the vehicle itself – touch a power line. (Stay at least 10 feet away. High voltage power lines are especially dangerous and shoot 50,000 volts or more.)
8. Play loud music – if at all. (Never wear headphones or earphones while driving.)

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