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One subset of the world of vehicle transport is heavy hauling. This specialized service can only work with drivers and dispatchers who know what needs to happen for these hauls to go off well. Therefore, you should only trust experienced heavy haulers with your oversize or overweight loads. But what exactly goes into these transports? Detroit Car Transport is happy to tell you what makes something a heavy haul and how we haul it.

Heavy hauling requires the right equipment.

Heavy hauls are defined as loads that exceed some legal dimension for weight or size. This means that loads that exceed the legal limit for length are considered heavy hauls, just like extremely heavy loads. These loads always require specific pieces of equipment for safe shipping. For example, heavy haulers will often use flatbed trailers for these loads. Flatbed trailers are broadly useful and versatile, and they often have the carrying capacity for these loads. Certain heavy hauls may require stretch, drop-deck, or even lowboy trailers depending on their specific dimensions.

Loading and unloading must be done carefully.

One of the hardest parts of the heavy hauling process is the loading and unloading. Heavy haulers need to ensure that they can load their loads onto their trailers safely. After all, if not secured properly, these loads can do some serious damage. Loading can happen in a few ways. Some oversize loads are large vehicles, like dump trucks, so they can drive right onto a trailer. This style of loading is called “RORO,” which stands for roll-on roll-off. However, many types of heavy hauls can’t drive themselves. In these cases, your heavy hauler will need to use a crane to lift your load onto their trailer. This requires skill that many car shippers simply don’t have.

Heavy haul drivers need to know how to handle the road.

An often overlooked aspect of heavy hauling is that the driving itself is more challenging. Larger loads have different safety needs. For example, extremely heavy loads have greater momentum, requiring drivers to be much more careful about their speed. Extremely long loads may make turning around tight corners impossible, requiring drivers to find new ways to get to their destination. For a driver to haul a heavy load safely, they have to know what their specific kind of heavy haul requires. At Detroit Car Transport, we know how important it is to pair drivers with the right load. With our vast network of drivers, we guarantee that we’ll find the right match.