Heavy hauling is a special kind of trucking that carries with it some unique challenges. All trucking has its challenges, but heavy hauling requires specialized experience and attention. At OverweightPermits.com, we have helped thousands of truckers complete their heavy hauls safely and legally. Here are our tips on how to navigate the unique challenges of heavy hauling.

Picking the right trailer

One of the biggest challenges facing heavy haulers is picking the right trailer for the job. There are a wide variety of trailers out there, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, while flatbed trailers are easy to find and inexpensive to use, they can’t accommodate extremely tall loads. Heavy haulers need to know the exact dimensions of their load in order to pick the right trailer for the job. Otherwise, they could wind up incurring fines or even damaging their load.

Getting the right permits

Heavy haulers have to deal with a variety of regulations that their regular trucking counterparts do not. One of those regulatory hurdles is the permitting process. Heavy haulers require special permits that are based on the dimensions of their load. They may need permits that cover their load’s length, width, height, or weight. And they may need even more specialized permits if their load exceeds the legal limits on those dimensions by too much. These are called “superload permits,” and they can get very expensive. Heavy haulers need to know which permits they need and how to get them.

Scheduling the haul

Even scheduling has regulatory hoops to jump through. Many states have different regulations governing heavy hauls than regular hauls. For instance, most states only allow heavy hauls to take place during daylight hours due to their potential for danger. Some do not permit heavy hauls on the weekends or have shorter hours on those days. Heavy haulers have to keep track of these ever-changing regulations and schedule their transport properly. And some heavy hauls also require the use of pilot vehicles, which introduce their own scheduling issues. Heavy haulers need to know all of the scheduling they need to do and plan it far in advance. After all, these transports are expensive, and people are counting on their hauler to make them happen quickly and legally.