Purchasing Online, Transporting On-Time

So, you’ve found that one piece of heavy equipment shipping you’ve been in search of for who-knows-how-long. There it is, all shiny and sharp--just what you need to get the job done! If you were at your local heavy equipment dealership, perhaps you’d make your payment and arrange for your new equipment to be delivered later this afternoon. Unfortunately, you’ve found your new grader, roller, farm tractor, or bulldozer on eBay, an worldwide internet marketplace, and it’s located halfway across the country, in some town with a name you’ve never heard before. Before you’re tempted to click that “Buy It Now” button, or even enter a bid, you should conduct some in-depth research.

When purchasing farm equipment, construction equipment, or other types of heavy equipment, you must consider the cost of freight incurred in shipping said equipment to its destination. You will need to request the heavy equipment’s height, width, length, and gross weight from the seller, who should have ready access to this information. He can easily calculate the linear dimensions with a tape measure, but if a scale is unavailable, the weight of the equipment can be obtained from its manufacturer with only the model and serial number of the unit.

The price of relocating your new farm, construction, or other heavy equipment will vary greatly based on the equipment’s size and type, as well as its origin and destination, and the amount of specialized handling that may be required due to fragility, functionality, or shape.

If your prospective heavy equipment is not oversized, procuring appropriate transportation is relatively simple. When you contact trucking companies for quotes, the company will need these dimensions to determine the appropriate truck and trailer combination for hauling your new heavy equipment. However, if If you determine that it is oversized: greater than 8’6” wide, greater than 13’6” high when loaded, greater than 70’ long including truck and trailer, or greater than 480,000# weight including truck and trailer, there will be special considerations and not just any carrier will do for your heavy haul. When the equipment is oversized or overweight, hauling it legally will require a number of additional expenses, ranging from government permits to insurance, expenses associated with detouring around highway obstacles, and the cost of mandatory escort vehicles.

Exporting and overseas shipment of heavy equipment requires further research, especially if your freight is oversized as outlined above, such that it will not fit into a standard shipping container, or is otherwise difficult to secure for shipment. Generally, you will need to make all of the same considerations when exporting as when shipping domestically, if not more, as there are also the added costs of taxes, tariffs, and inspections, as well as export paperwork to be completed and customs brokers to be secured.

When shipping any heavy equipment, be it oversized, domestic, international, or otherwise, you must also consider the amount of time that will be spent in transit. How time-sensitive is the relocation of this item? Acquiring overweight or oversized permits often take time, and receiving your new heavy equipment within a few days, may not always be feasible.

Now that you have considered the aforementioned points, you will want to contact a shipper such as RM Logistics that has the right combination of knowledge, equipment, and experience. RM Logistics also offers highly competitive pricing and always safe yet rapid time in transit.