Towing Heavy Equipment

Everything You Need To Know About Towing Heavy Equipment

Need to tow heavy equipment near you? Wondering how the process works, or what you can expect when you hire a company for weighty supplies towing?

In this guide from A-1 Auto Transport, we’ll discuss all of the basics, including how weighty supplies towing works, whether you can tow inoperable equipment, how far your tools can be towed, and more. Read on, and get answers to all of your questions.

Examples Of Pricing & Time To Shift

What Is Weighty Tools Hauling?

In a general sense, weighty gear towing involves every step of tuging, hauling, and shipping weighty equipment. However, this term is more often used to refer to the process of hauling broken-down or otherwise immovable gear short distances. In contrast, the terms “heavy tools transport” or “heavy supplies shipping” are used to refer to shipping supplies over long distances.

There are two basic types of hauling, and they work a bit differently.

• Towing wheeled vehicles – Wheeled vehicles like buses, and semi-trucks can be towed without the use of a flatbed. Instead, they can be lifted up and secured to the rear of a heavy-duty tow truck, and then towed just like a car, with one or more sets of wheels on the road. However, this is not practical for most types of hefty tools.
  
• Flatbeds for non-wheeled supplies – Equipment without road-worthy wheels – such as tractors, tracked vehicles like bulldozers cranes, and other tools – will be towed using a flatbed. Depending on whether the vehicle is self-powered or not, it can either be driven onto the flatbed, or it may need to be hoisted onto the flatbed using a crane.
  
  Then, with its wheels or tracks safely off the ground, the tools can be transported to its destination by the tow truck.

How Much Will I Pay For Towing Weighty Gear?

Typically, short-distance towing is charged at an hourly rate. This can be anywhere from $100 an hour to more than $1,000 per hour. The cost of your job depends on a few different factors, including the overall size and weight of your equipment, how far it needs to be towed, whether or not it’s self-powered or in operating condition, and more.

Let’s take a look at the factors that influence the cost of dragging heavy supplies.

• Size and type of equipment – Smaller gear is easier to tow, while heavier and bulkier supplies will incur a higher cost.
• Towing distance – The longer your kit has to be towed, the longer it will take to do your job, so you’ll pay a higher overall rate.
• Operability of gear– Operable, self-powered hefty tools are cheap to tow. However, broken-down or damaged gear will be much harder to tow and recover, leading to a higher rate.

Can Inoperable Weighty Gear Be Towed?

Yes. However, this will usually require the use of a hefty-duty dragging truck with a crane or a heavy-duty winch, and the use of a flatbed trailer. Your tools may also need to be located on a stable surface, as the truck must extend crane “outriggers” that will help stabilize it while the crane is being used to move your weighty gear.

In many cases, it may be cheaper to have inoperable supplies repaired on-site, if possible. However, there are some complex issues that may not be repairable by on-site mechanics. If this is the case, hiring a haul trucking company to tow your equipment may be a good choice.

Can Hefty Supplies Be Towed Long Distances?

Yes, but this depends on the type of tools and the method of dragging. Wheeled vehicles like buses, or semi-trucks, for example, can be towed only short distances with their wheels on the ground. However, any type of gear can be towed a long distance on a flatbed.

It is essential to realize, though, that the costs of dragging a vehicle a few miles and transporting a vehicle several hundred miles within your state – or even across multiple states – will vary quite a bit. You’ll be charged per mile, rather than per hour, which is common with short-distance equipment towing and recovery.

In addition, most kit hauling and recovery companies do not offer long-distance transport services. They will only transport your vehicle to a local destination of your choice – such as a mechanic or a storage area. You will typically need to hire and pay a “heavy haul” transportation carrier separately after your supplies have been towed.

If you want to find out more and learn how much you may pay for towing equipment a long distance, you can get an instant quote from A-1 Auto Transport now.

Need Gear Hauling Services? Contact Us Today!

If you’ve had your tools towed from the site of an accident or breakdown and need to send them out for repairs, A-1 Auto Transport is here to help. We work with the best network of heavy supplies transportation specialists in America.

No matter where your hefty gear needs to go after being towed, we’re here to help. Contact us online or give us a call at (888) 230-9116 to get a quote and get the equipment hauling services you need.