What do I do if I want to hire an independent hauler?

Contact a couple of hotshot companies and get a bid before just giving up.
Here's two of them: click on blue lettering.
Henderson Trucking > Henderson Trucking LLC
Showroom Transport - Auto,Car,RV,Trailer,Heavy Equipment ...

 

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

 

Get exact dimensions and weight if you can. I think 30' might be a tad longer than that Bone.

There are open deck drivers that specialize in partial loads. If you look at the miles and how much length of the deck the machine will take, you might be able to bring down the cost of shipping, assuming you would have a wide open window for delivery.

 

Used to be a company called Kaiser in Wisconsin, that hauled LTL flatbed/stepdeck loads.

 

It also seems fairly common for hotshot to have ramps or a dovetail + a winch