How To Transport An Excavator In 7 Easy Steps (2022)

Moving an excavator could be challenging, especially when you want to safely transport it over long distances. Given its weight, size, and odd shape, you can’t just dump it onto a trailer truck and expect it to be delivered smoothly.

However, it’s not an impossible feat, as long as you follow the basic rules. So, if you want to know how to transport an excavator from one job site to the other, read on.

7 Steps To Properly Transport An Excavator

Choose A Properly-Sized Vehicle For Towing

Excavators have various sizes, from mini/compact, to midi and standard, full sizes. Therefore, choosing a properly-sized vehicle to move an excavator safely is essential.

According to Archbold, trailers are the most popular choice to haul an excavator because it’s efficient and has adequate size to hold it properly, along with its attachments.

Compact or mini excavators may need a trailer capable of supporting at least 10,000 lbs, while full-sized excavators might need at least 20,000 - 30,000 lbs or more. You must ensure that the hauling truck/trailer can support the excavator’s weight.

Do A Risk Assessment

The recommended loading procedures require a documented risk assessment to identify the risks and hazards associated with the machine’s operation.

Before doing a risk assessment, you must read the excavator’s operation and maintenance manual to ensure no critical safety procedures are missed.

Check all parts of the excavator, from its chains and tires to its other attachments. We recommend checking the excavator’s undercarriage and ensuring it’s free of mud, dirt, and sand.

Also, it’s important to check if the ramp is durable and reliable enough to hold the weight and size of the heavy equipment.

Determine the Dimension of the Excavator

The excavator’s dimensions (width, length, and height) must be determined using the owner’s manual.

Always be careful not to exceed the maximum GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), especially when transporting an excavator to other states or municipalities. The state and local municipality laws and federal regulations on GVWR always vary.

Inspect The Trailer Truck

Ensure all signal lights are working; if any lights are faulty, quickly replace them before driving. It’s important to inspect the clearance, dock plate, and trailer deck to prevent unwanted problems.

Most importantly, ensure that the trailer is adequately supported and the trailer wheels are blocked before loading the heavy cargo or excavator [1].

Make Sure The Trailer Is On Flat Ground

Always ensure the trailer is on flat ground before loading the excavator onto it so the heavy equipment can be positioned evenly.

It’s recommended to ensure the ground is firm enough to bear the combined weight of the trailer and the excavator. Sometimes, the ground becomes soft after heavy rain or during rainy seasons, so you need to be extra careful.

Check For Any Obstacles

Before transit, you have to check all the possible obstacles that may hinder the safe transportation of the excavator.

It’s best to consider the traffic and weather conditions of the route because it may require you to secure the machine tighter to prevent movement.

Secure Your Excavator

After securing the excavator transport, ensure the equipment is securely placed onto the trailer truck. All parts, like the boom arm bucket and blade, must be lowered to the trailer’s floor.

The recommended loading procedures require double-checking if all attachments, such as articulation points, hydraulic hoses, tie-down points, or buckets, are secured properly.

5 Types of Excavators & How To Transport Them

Vacuum

Vacuum excavators or suction excavators have suction pipes that utilize air, providing up to 400hp suction capabilities and causing less damage to the surrounding soil than other excavators.

This excavator loosens the ground using a water jet, and then the pipe, fitted with sharp teeth, further breaks up the debris and removes it safely.

When transporting vacuum excavators, the suction pipes should be tucked securely above the excavator. Ensure that all parts are properly strapped.

Crawler

Crawler excavators utilize tracks because the weight of the steel tracks can successfully help counterbalance the weight of its heavy material load.

It can easily scale hills and uneven terrain. It has extra weight on the track, making it more stable when lifting and moving debris above the machine’s center of gravity.

It features a boom with a bucket, which tends to occupy the entire length of the trailer truck, even when folded. Hence, its dimensions need a special transport platform.

Skid Steer

Skid steer excavators look quite different from other types of excavators because their boom and bucket face away from the machine’s cab.

Since skid steer excavators are relatively compact, they are pretty easy to ship. They usually fit on flatbed trailers, but the top deck of a step-deck trailer is a great spot too.

Long Reach

Long-reach excavators have a more extended boom and arm than traditional excavators, so it is best suited for narrow areas/hard-to-reach locations.

It is commonly used in industrial demolition projects requiring more control because you can navigate it with extreme precision, so using unsafe explosives is unnecessary.

A “low-boy” or a standard flatbed trailer would be suitable for transporting it safely. However, due to its length and equipment attachments, you may need to use two trailers to transport this equipment.

5. Dragline

Draglines are large excavators usually used in civil engineering that utilize an alternative process to lift and move debris. They use a rope system that raises and lowers the bucket while the dragline pulls the bucket back towards the cab safely.

You can use flatbed trailers to transport dragline excavators after dismantling them.

Final Thoughts

To transport an excavator, you need to choose the right vehicle to tow it. You need to carry out a risk assessment to ensure safe transportation and loading process. Remember to always load the excavator at a safe distance.

Determining the excavator’s dimensions, inspecting and securing the trailer truck, checking for obstacles, and consistent hauling techniques are also salient points that need to be considered.

Thus, if you want to save time and money, you’ll need to follow these important steps in transporting an excavator to ensure easier and safer transport.