Four Questions to Ask Before Turning to Float Hire to Move Your Heavy Equipment
If you need to move heavy machinery from one jobsite to another, you may need to turn to float hire. This gets your heavy machinery off the road and safeguards it from unnecessarily racking up kilometres on the odometer. However, if you have never hired a float before, there are several questions you should ask to ensure you get the right one:
1. What Is Your Maximum Carrying Capacity?
In most cases when you turn to float hire, the trailer has a maximum carrying capacity. In most cases, this is several tonnes, but you have to ensure the capacity works with the weight of your vehicle. Additionally, you want to know the dimensions of the float hire so that you can ensure your equipment fits in terms of width and length.
2. Do You Have a Deck Widener?
If the equipment you need to move doesn't fit on the float, you may want to ask about deck wideners. These ingenious tools simply allow you to increase the width of the float, without threatening the stability of the entire set up.
3. Do You Provide the Operator?
It can hard to navigate a float through traffic, and it's even harder if you have a deck widener engaged. Additionally, you also need a special license to legally drive a truck with a float behind it. If you have team members on staff who can handle this job, you may want to hire the float, hitch it to your existing trucks, and let your team drive it.
Alternatively, in other cases, you may need to work with a float hire company who can also provide you with an operator or a pilot, as these drivers are sometimes referred to in the industry. If the hire company provides the pilot, you may want to figure out what your expectations are in terms of helping to load the float. In particular, find out if you need to provide crew members to drive your machinery onto the trailer.
4. Do You Use Tilt Trailers?
In most cases, float hire companies use tilt trailers. These allow you to drive your machinery on the float, and then, the trailer uses hydraulic elements to lift the machinery up. Without a tilt trailer, you may need to hire a special ramp that allows you to get your vehicles onto the trailer.
These questions will help guide you toward the right float hire for your needs. The float hire company can also help you identify key areas to consider.