Heavy haulage is not like standard freight; when you need something particularly heavy hauled, you need a freight company that has the trucks capable of carrying your transport and specialises in heavy loads. These companies will know to avoid roads with weight restrictions and will have the right equipment to secure your load.

This means you should take extra time to ask the right questions and ensure you find the best company available. Note a few factors to consider when looking for a heavy haulage transport company.

1. Ask if they have particular tie-downs for your load

Because of the nature of heavy haulage, a transport company may need to provide certain tie-downs for heavy-duty equipment, such as chains to keep it in place or rubber tie-downs for something more delicate. Ask if they have tie-downs for the load you have in particular before you assume that they can offer what you need.

2. Ask if they can handle hazardous materials.

Items like grain or even hazardous liquids require specialised equipment and experience, so you need to ask if they can handle your type of load in particular. Hazardous loads, which can be anything from fertiliser to combustible liquids, should also be hauled by a company that specialises in that type of material so they have the right placards and experience in loading and unloading. They may also need to use certain chemicals for cleaning their tanks and their lining.

Along with experience, the company needs to offer the right type of insurance for your load. Hazardous goods will often require a different type of insurance than heavy-duty equipment, as an example. Ultimately, ask about their insurance coverage for your unique load.

3. Ask about what it takes to accommodate your schedule.

Since heavy haulage requires specialised equipment and in some cases, drivers with special training, and because the driver may need to take certain routes to avoid weight restrictions on the road, low bridges, and the like, you need to ask about what it takes to accommodate your schedule. They may need more time to schedule your load and more time to actually deliver it, since the route they map out may not be very direct.

This is an important point to remember since many standard freight carriers can often accommodate virtually any delivery demand as they often have hundreds if not thousands of trucks that can ship standard boxes and pallets.

However, heavy haulage takes more time to plan and these transport companies usually have far fewer trucks on the road. If you have certain delivery deadlines for your load, be sure to ask about this upfront and never assume they can just accommodate.

Start comparing your options by contacting companies like SC Heinrich & Co Pty Ltd.

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