How To Ship A Generator?

What is the worst thing that can happen when using electricity-powered equipment to accomplish heavy-duty construction? Cutting off your electricity. You can't live without electricity, whether at home or work, traveling by vehicle or airplane. Life stops when electricity fails.

For instance, when a hospital has a power outage, essential equipment, and services, including motorized wheelchairs, air conditioning, medical ventilators, incubators, dialysis machines, and more, stop working. It can impact the lives of the patients. Literally, hundreds of lives could be jeopardized because of electricity cut-offs.

To cope with this situation, we have generators that can supply us with immediate electricity if the power goes out. It use mechanical energy to create electrical energy. When you are not connected to the electrical grid, it powers your electronics and appliances by providing electricity.

Simply put, it gives you electric power when there is no electricity. It is the best source of electricity during blackouts, especially those that continue for hours following natural disasters like hurricanes, Katrina, and similar tragedies.

Are you considering moving it for a residential or commercial project? Never before has delivering been so simple. There are firms with commercial drivers and logistics experts who can bring your commercial one to your door in a secure manner.

Let's find out how these are hauled and what steps are necessary to ensure they arrive without any unpleasant experience. Firstly, let’s look at their common types!

Common Types

There are various types, designs, and models, each with unique features, capacities, and applications. For example, a large one with a higher power and the ability to run continuously for hours is required for commercial use. However, you would need a smaller one for your home.

Portable Ones

The back generator's gas-powered engine also goes by the "portable generator." Gas fuels the machine, which drives an onboard alternator, energy and produces electricity. Since they are not installed permanently, they can be readily hauled from one location to another.

They require manual operation. Lights, a refrigerator, a computer, a TV, and mobile chargers may be powered by a portable one and other necessary small equipment. For domestic use, they are perfect.

Standby Ones

These are perfect for commercial, industrial, and business use. These outperform portable ones in terms of power. Most standby generators are fixed and need a sizable pad outside your business to serve as a foundation.

Based on the fuel kind and setup, these can supply you with electricity during power outages for several days.

Industrial

When it comes to practicality and longevity, these are the greatest of all. In a power outage, these can run continuously for days.

Manufacturing firms depend on these extensive functionality and power to maintain their operations and productivity. Industrial ones come in various shapes and sizes, ranging from 150 hp to 4000 hp, and dimensions from 20 kW to 2500 kW.

Inverter

An inverter transforms electricity and provides more reliable and safer power to your devices without electricity. It is smaller, quieter, and more energy-efficient than a regular one, although it typically costs more.

How Are Industrial And Residential Ones Hauled?

Since portable and standby generators are usually small enough, they can easily be placed in semi-trucks and taken out of them with the help of a liftgate. The firm takes full responsibility. After loading, it's set into the truck, secured with a tarp for additional waterproofing, and well protected from any potential damages.

Everything is specified in the freight agreement, including safe transit and how it set will arrive. The agencies use a construction fork truck or forklift to unload it when it gets to the site crane.

When hauling freight, being specific with the dimensions of the items in the trailer is always vital. This enables drivers to acquire the necessary equipment and, if necessary, plan more shipments to haul in the same load. Incorrect positioning might lead to issues like damage to the item, an unsuitable trailer, or maybe an accident with the trailer. Your cargo may experience delays and extra costs if an oversized load is not correctly classified.

Industrial generators require large trailers to deliver them since they are heavier than portable backup generators. These are hauled on step-deck, lowboy, and RGN (removable gooseneck) flatbeds. They are secured with bungee cords or tie-down straps to prevent movement. They are lifted with a travel Gantry crane, heavy overhead, and are tied with reliable and robust ropes and straps to prevent the moment while moving.

These are set up upright to prevent leaks of fuel or gas and damage to other crucial parts of these large, heavy ones. In light of this, these must never be turned upside down on their side.

Shipments

Shipment of portable and standby generators is easy. Portable ones can be moved quickly with other items since they take little space and are not heavy. Heavy ones need flatbed trailers with several goosenecks, so their shipment is difficult.

There are several factors that the company considers while hauling. What are those factors? Let's find out.

• Generators with or without fuel and gas can be dangerous to transport on roads frequently used by the public. In any mishaps, they can pose a threat to the public lives. So, some specific routes these companies can travel through while carrying such sensitive items.
• Additionally, there will be a time constraint on when it can travel. Heavy haul cargo typically cannot travel while it is dark outside. This is designed to reduce accidents brought on by poor visibility. Due to the increased traffic, limitations are also in force over holidays.
• While carrying these, the company would acquire the state government-issued permit. Without a license, they can't travel and can't have these items; it will be considered illegal, and the company driver and shipment team can end up in jail.
• The acceptable forms of the "danger" notice must be shown on these containers and trailers to warn other drivers of the heavy load. The danger sign could either be in the form of banners or flags, and other drivers can easily see the lights that are attached to the truck and trailer.

Trailers Used

Depending on the size, these units are hauled on various trailers. While moving them, the firms take extra precautions to safeguard the fragile equipment from the weather and other elements that can damage the freight. This includes mounting the parts on the appropriate trailer, securing them with straps, and covering them to prevent damage to the computer grid.

• Hot Shot Trailer

Hotshots are typically 3 to 5 heavy-duty trucks hauling a flatbed or another type of trailer. They frequently haul items or components required to stop a breakdown, such as one in the electricity grid, a factory, or a facility. They often haul vehicles, machines, watercraft, and even recreational vehicles.

• Flatbed Gooseneck Trailer

A flatbed trailer is a standard open-deck piece of machinery with neither a roof nor sides. It is mainly used to move bulky, wide, heavy, and insensitive items like machinery, building materials, or equipment. The flat body's form makes it significantly simpler to load and unload cargo in this trailer.

• Step-deck trailers

They are built so that heavy freight can be loaded lower to get around height constraints. Step-deck trailers are easier for forklifts to load and unload products from since they are more accessible than flatbed trailers due to their lower height.

• Dry van trailers

They are enclosed containers made to safely and securely convey various items. They are excellent for transporting standby and portable ones. A dry van is the industry standard for hauling non-perishable commodities on short and long-distance routes because each trailer can carry up to 45,000 lbs.

• Side-Kit

A flatbed trailer version with sides made of wooden panels affixed to the bed is referred to as a side kit (also known as a covered wagon). The top is left exposed, ready to be covered with a tarp to shield cargo from the elements.

This enables quick and simple loading and unloading of specific sorts of freight. These kinds of trailers are used to load large, irregularly shaped goods.

Factors That Determine Cost

The cost depends on certain factors.

1. The price is affected by the size and model as well. The cost of portable ones would undoubtedly be lower than that of industrial generators because they can be hauled easily in dry vans with other things and can weigh between 50 and 250 pounds.
2. The overall cost is also based on the distance traveled. Longer lengths will result in higher prices. International moving will, of course, be more expensive.
3. The cost depends on the company too. If you are opting for a firm that is well established, they might charge you more since their service will be better than other relatively more minor well-established agencies. They are insured and bonded, so even if any damage occurs to it, they will pay you to compensate.
4. The price and size depend on how much space it takes up inside the trailer. It is called the dimensional weight.
5. The possibility of additional taxes and customs that must be paid separately for overseas shipments must be kept in mind.
6. Since the hauling falls under the category of sensitive goods that may pose a threat to the public, it takes a long time. It requires extra care and security, which raises the cost.
7. The mover is responsible for all aspects of packing dangerous goods in compliance with state-imposed regulations and laws. It involves putting their lives in danger and can also affect the fee.

Can It Be Moved With Gas or Fuel

Hauling with fuel, gas, and diesel is not illegal. The companies can do that. However, there are several regulations that you must abide by when carrying it that is running on fuel, gas, or diesel. All fuel valves must be tightly shut to eliminate the possibility of leaks or spills. Significant fines and penalties could result from improperly closed fuel valves.

Because diesel is inexpensive and generators operated with diesel do not make noise, It is a preferred fuel because it often needs less maintenance than other types; that's why many business companies use diesel.

Gasoline and other fuels should be transported and stored in authorized containers that are appropriately tagged, vented, designed, and marked for their contents. Companies must also hold valid authorization to deliver such materials. They meticulously seal to prevent fuel or gas leakage. Still, we advise you to discuss this with your company before signing the documents. The state agency must grant these companies a permit.

Each state has a unique process for issuing permits. When entering another state, a business must present the license. The hauler will look up the legal loading size and weight restrictions in each state along the route to the destination.

Conclusion

The hauling depends on the size and their length. The heavier it is, the more complicated and time-consuming would be. Different shipment companies have different set standards, which vary from company to company.

The companies that charge more for the shipment are usually with reliable services. It procedure is more secure and protected; they can go to any length to protect it.

When necessary, the agencies handle the oversized width and weight permits and unload them at their permanent location. To ensure it gets to its destination, they take care of the necessary permissions and regulatory requirements. Before signing the documents with the company, discussing every little detail with them is advised.