Transporting Heavy Equipment

No, you don't need to be certified except possibly on some projects where the operator will load and unload you.

 

Heavy Hauling is not for everybody. Your constantly on your toes,knees and the odd time on your ###.
We have more regulations to follow and requirements. Not a job for newbies or somebody who thinks its cool to pull 16,18 or 24 wide loads down the road.
You start off with RGN trailers and slowly work your way up to the bigger multi axles and eventually up to the real interesting stuff.
Load securement and and patience skills are a definite requirement.
Not trying to damper your dream, just providing some reality. Been in heavy haul and oilfield for 90% of my career.
The other 10% reminded me why I stay in HH.

 

I love heavy haul more than anything else especially hauling in the bush. Rigmover is right it isn't for everyone got to have a head on your shoulders even though paid from the neck down lol. It is physically and mentally challenging but if you are up for it it is very rewarding plus it will take your driving skills to the next level. There is so much more to know from axle spacings to different overweight rules in every province and every province has different spacing rules. In the Yukon I need a spacing of 3m between rear truck axle and jeep axle to get maximum weight whereas in Alberta I need to be 3.5m. Also need to run clean and legal as most scales will check your paperwork and permits more often than say a van or a flatdeck.

If you want to get into it best to find a company that does it as well as other types of trucking so you can get your foot in the door and start off slow. No one is going to send a newbie out with 8 axles and 75000 kgs without previous experience.

 

If you guys would take me I would move up and haul heavy, the views in the lower side is getting pretty old.

Prairie Boy and a few others post photos of places that are beautiful.

 

Are you sure??? My company brings guys in hauling out equipment with little to ZERO experience.... Part of the issue is it's a unionized environment, so say one of the employees wants to come from a different department and work in the haulage department.. As long as they can "drive" the truck then they will get the job.. I don't really like it BUT everyone has to start somewhere I suppose... Most of us in the department have trucking experience, I drove before I worked at the City, then I got into a DZ Job (garbage collections) and then got back into trucking hauling the garbage material.. We have guys in the department who have the AZ on the licence but THAT'S it.. They work at city so long in another department then they wanna come to haulage and never drove a transport before (ONLY a DZ garbage trucks or smaller).. Here you go "trucking" newbie take this brand new truck, brand new 5 axle trailer and go haul 60,000tons.. I don't agree with it, but again the because of seniority they get to do it.. I don't think its right but that's how it works at my place.. I am sure it happens in other places as well...

 

I klike your Signature. How about the 1998 Blue 62" Aerodyne? Still got it?

 

I wouldn't send a new guy out with a load like that but I also manage a private company so things would be a little different. Never cared much for unions and the way they work but that could be a whole other thread worth of discussion. I think throwing a new guy with that much weight and such is only increasing the chance of problems. I started out with small 6 axle loads and worked my way up to the heavy stuff and got a feel for how everything pulled and how to properly tie down before I got into a bad situation with something I didn't have the experience to be hauling. As far as seniority I don't buy into the thought of just time spent in the company I base seniority on time plus experience. If a 25 year old has better skill and experience in a particular area vs a senior guy in the company then the 25 yr old will be my first choice to send out. Too much can go wrong all at once no matter how much experience one has but it is experience that can mean the difference between the truck going in the ditch or someone dead vs not having anything major go bad just pulling the seat cloth out of ones ##### lol.

No we sold the truck to a local company been downsizing the long haul fleet as we rarely do much and anything that does come up is usually done by me.

 

Yeah I 100% agree with you... I don't love or hate unions.. I think they do some good and they also do some bad... As far as the seniority goes with experience I couldn't agree more.. I'd rather have a 25 year old with trucking experience be behind the wheel doing the job over a guy that with 25 years seniority and no experience driving a transport... Unfortunately if the guy has a AZ licence and passes our fleet departments road test and written test (just like the Ministry Of Transport test you for your Provinces licence)... If they can pass those they can drive a truck... The problem I have is I think you should have trucking experience to haul heavier loads... Like I said it's not even just union environments that put non-experience on heavy or speciality loads.. These big companies will take a newbie and put them hauling steel with 6 axle trailers and no experience.. Diaster waiting to happen if you ask me.. Not saying everyone that is a newbie is incompetent, just I feel you should have experience before you get into lots that require more alertness and knowledge.

 

Hey YukonTrucker, recognize the T800???


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