How To Choose the Best Trailers for Construction and Mining Operations

The mining and construction industries rely on construction trailers to haul heavy equipment from location to location. Heavy equipment is used in a variety of capacities from digging to moving earth. They are essential to construction and mining operations, but not all of the equipment needs to stay at a specific job site. The company then must move them to get the most out of these expensive pieces of equipment.

Determining the best heavy equipment trailer to use depends on a variety of factors. The right trailer has the right amount of space to perfectly fit the equipment transported. Using too much trailer ends up wasting money and not enough trailer doesn’t safely transport your expensive equipment. Not to mention that the federal and state governments regulate the size of the trailer used to transport specific equipment. A little preparation and understanding of the types of trailers, reasons to haul, and types of equipment can save you time and money.

Types of Trailers

There are a variety of trailer types you can purchase to haul your equipment. A removable gooseneck heavy-equipment trailer hauls your heaviest equipment. Equipment that is too large or heavy for a step-deck trailer or flatbed trailer can be hauled on the RGN trailers. Flatbed trailers are handy for smaller equipment such as forklifts and mini excavators. Push-Out trailers are perfect for dumping large loads of rock or debris. Step-deck trailers fill in the gaps between the smaller flatbed trailers and the larger capacity RGN trailers.

While smaller trailers such as flatbed trailers cost less to purchase, their size limits the amount of weight they can handle and the pieces of equipment they can haul. Larger RGN trailers range in price but are generally more expensive than the smaller trailers. However, with their larger hauling capabilities, they can handle the large equipment such as articulated trucks that the smaller trailers cannot support. RGNs usually have more axles to hold the weight of the heavier equipment over long hauls. The larger trailers cost more to purchase and haul than smaller trailers.

Reasons to Haul

Construction and mining companies need to transport their heavy equipment for a variety of reasons. A heavy equipment trailer allows you to purchase instead of leasing your heavy equipment. When not in use, the construction trailer provides a means to transport the equipment from the job site to a storage facility until it is needed again. The equipment can be maintained and cleaned in a place designated for that versus at the job site.

Owning your own heavy equipment trailer saves you money over time. Transportation services have their purposes, but if you use them frequently, the costs may outweigh the benefits. Having an experienced driver haul the equipment from one place to another on a dump trailer you already own saves money. Plus, you don’t have to rely on the transportation service company having space for your company. Relying on their schedule can cause problems with your own construction or mining schedule.

Types of Equipment

Construction and mining companies use similar equipment depending on the project. Using the right heavy equipment trailer to transport those large machines depends on the type of equipment. Smaller equipment such as mini excavators has become more popular because these types of equipment are versatile and easily maneuver around the job site. Here are some basic trailer recommendations for specific heavy equipment.

• Bulldozers—step deck, RGN
• Trenchers—flatbed, step deck, RGN
• Pipe Layers—RGN
• Street Sweepers—flatbed, RGN
• Backhoe Loaders—flatbed, step deck, RGN
• Wheel Loaders—step deck, RGN
• Graders and Scrapers—RGN
• Skid Steers—flatbed, step deck
• Excavators—flatbed, RGN
• Mini Excavators—flatbed, step deck
• Forklifts—flatbed, step deck, RGN
• Articulated Trucks—RGN

Your business may need more than one heavy equipment trailer depending on how many pieces of heavy equipment the company owns and needs to transport. While some of the heavy equipment listed above shows multiple trailers that can be used, ultimately the right dump trailer depends on the size and weight of the machinery. A large forklift needs more space than a smaller forklift. More space requires a larger trailer.

Plan to Haul

When handling the transport of your heavy equipment, plan ahead. Once you have the right heavy equipment trailer for the machinery, you need to establish a schedule for transporting it, especially if over long distances. The schedule can help you determine costs and ensure the equipment makes it to the next site on time. Planning ahead of time allows your company to determine and plan for any governmental regulations for hauling the equipment. The highways you plan to travel may have restrictions for height and weight. For tall equipment, you may need to avoid or go around certain underpasses to avoid the trailer becoming stuck.

As part of your plan, decide the personnel involved from start to finish. Go over the procedures and plan, so that everyone is on the same page. This helps create a smooth process from start to finish. Your equipment has a better chance of arriving where needed at the right time when everyone is on the same page.

Considerations Before Purchase

Choosing the right heavy equipment trailer for your mining or construction business depends on the type and size of equipment the company uses. A construction trailer offers the ability to use one piece of equipment at multiple job sites. The cost of the trailer is often outweighed by the ability to use the heavy equipment where your work demands it. Not having to constantly rent heavy equipment can offset the trailer purchase. Use these considerations for your next heavy equipment trailer purchase to make the most of your investment.

If you need a trailer for your construction or mining purposes, Uintah machine has many different types of trailers for various applications. Browse our products or contact us today and we will help you determine what type of trailer will best suit your needs.