looking for advice on the best way to get into hauling heavy equipment

If you want to get into heavy haul then you need to get started with flats, move to step decks, RGN or double drops and then toward multi axle trailers. It will usually take several years to get enough experience for you to get into the heavy haul end of the business. You can haul some excavators on a step deck. You can begin to learn about securing a load with a flatbed. You may also have some opportunities to haul some oversize freight with a flat. As you gain experience your knowledge will expand and there will be greater opportunities that will move you toward your goal. This is not something that will happen over night. When you deal with heavy haul, you will be doing over size and that involves more regulations and greater attention to detail. You will mostly be running daylight hours when you do heavy haul or oversize loads.

 

G/MAN hit the nail on the head. We train drivers in a much shorter time frame, but we don't do multiaxle heavy haul. The other short cut you might find would be to work for an excavating company. You might be pulling dump trailers most of the time, but you would probably get a little experience moving equipment from job to job.

 

Hey Byrdman, Heavy haul is not something you just jump into. Like the driver responses before me said "It requires a LOT more knowledge and expertise not to mention common sense" Now one thing I have to say to you is check out the toll booths and fuel pumps you frequent and see the goughes and scrapes that drivers with 102" trailers leave, I won't even start on dealing with the 4 wheelers from the Helen Keller school of driving. Anyway, you should search this site because it offers a wealth of info. Check out American Trucker on the Newbie Page because he got some #### good reponses as far as flatbed companies that might help you out. BB

 

great advice!!! I spent 35 years in the industry, Started off with vans and went to flats, stepdecks, and into oversize, then into multi-axle units.

After I got hurt in 2003 I couldn't drive I got into pilot cars. Most of the guys like me had a lot of years before we ever pulled multi-axle.
When you get in 7 axles and above you had better know what you are doing. It is very hard to pick up 200,000 after you mess up.

take your time and learn to do it right. Give your self 10 plus years.

 

If you have at least 6 months experience and want to work for an owner operator, you may try CRST Malone. They are based in Birmingham and will train you on how to do basic securement. Boyd is another flatbed carrier based in Alabama. I don't know if they hire inexperienced drivers. Maverick and TMC are not based in the states you mentioned, but do hire inexperienced drivers. ATS does flats all the way to multi axle freight, but I don't know their hiring requirements. It is important to get a good foundation. Much of it is common sense, but there are rules in place for securement. If you don't properly secure a load, it will be a major fine from the DOT. They keep a close eye on how we secure open deck freight. I have a friend who was pulled over in Ohio to check his securement on his covered wagon. He had a load of onions and once they found out that he didn't have coils, they cut him loose. When you haul open deck it is very easy to check for proper securement. Pulling any open deck trailer requires more time and attention to detail. I check my load every time that I stop or have a concern. You don't just throw a load on the truck and go. Even some heavy haul loads could require some tarps, although most won't.

Most drivers who do heavy haul tend to be older. There is a reason for them being older. It takes a few years to gain enough experience to where you are qualified to do the heavy haul. Companies such as ATS will start you with a little over width and move you up as you gain experience. After talking to one of their drivers, I think they may move them up too quickly, but that is how they operate.

 

I too am looking to getting into OS/OD stuff sometime. I have no experience doing SD or RGN at all but have hauled windmill blades and ran a lowboy 3 for a local excavating company. I have hauled coils and plate steel an lumber, and I think hauling dozers and tri-axle dumps on the lowboy was a lot easier than the other stuff. I really enjoyed it but have found out that what all the guys before me said is true. Most companies will want you to work your way up, and honestly, of u have common sense and can solve minor problems, it should not take anytime at all.

 

You may be able to get a local job hauling equipment for United, sunbelt, or hertz to start out. I had hauled tankers and went to work at hertz with little flatbed experience. Last week there was a driver that got stuck on a entrance ramp onto I-526 in Mt. pleasant, sc. news said he got a pretty hefty fine.