November 14th, 2011
It’s no secret that oversized freight requires extra planning and logistics since it travels on public roads with other motorists and obstacles. But what about a more controlled environment that would help remove some of these hazards?
Multimodal shipping refers to moving freight through the use of more than one method. This presents an interesting option when dealing with oversized freight as the dedicated lines of rail provide the opportunity to move large freight in a more direct route than may be allowed by motor carrier because of obstacles on the road such as bridges and overpasses.
Working with the right carrier can allow you to work out the logistics of getting your oversized freight from point A to point B as quickly and directly as possible.
Tags: heavy haul trucking, multimodal shipping, oversized shipping, rail shipping
Posted in Freight Rail, Heavy Haul Trucking, Oversize Loads | No Comments »
November 10th, 2011
Over-dimensional shipments refers to any freight that is over-sized, over-length, over-width, or over-weight. These types of shipments require special permits from the state to be moved, especially over-weight freight, and specialized training to ensure safe transport for both the freight and for other motorists on the road.
In addition to special permits and training, over-dimensional freight also requires additional logistical planning as things like bridges and over-passes can present an obstacle not faced by other vehicles. This requires additional planning for routes that won’t present potentially hazardous obstacles, as well as making sure that escort vehicles will be able to monitor the progress of the carrier.
Tags: escort vehicles, over-dimensional shipments, over-length, over-size, over-weight, over-width, route planning, state permits
Posted in Oversize Loads, Overweight Loads | No Comments »
October 20th, 2011
Over-the-Road transportation using the traditional truck-based model is an effective, time-tested method of moving freight from one location to another. There are, however, times when using rail or barge transport could be the better, more financially efficient method to use.
By doing the proper research and working closely with your shipping company, you can determine which method or combination of methods is the best value for your company. In doing this you can get your freight to its destination faster and save money in the process. Make sure that your company offers shipment analysis to make sure that you’re getting the best option for you and your company.
Tags: barge transport, shipment analysis, truck vs rail
Posted in Freight Rail, Project Cargo | No Comments »
October 13th, 2011
There’s been talk here about the differences and pros and cons of truck versus rail shipping, but what about when they work together? Sure, we’ve talked about how trucks are great for bringing freight to trains where it can then be transferred from one vehicle to another, but what if the cargo wasn’t transferred, or rather, wasn’t unloaded from the trailer and then loaded onto the rail container? That would be Intermodal Freight Transport.
Intermodal Freight Transport allows the transfer of a universal freight container between multiple vehicles (rail, train, ship) without the freight itself ever having to be handled. This is particularly helpful when the freight is sensitive (such as requiring refrigeration) or hazardous, and thus better left in the container. This is just one more way that shipping methods can work together.
Tags: container transfers, freight handling, intermodal freight transport, rail transport, ship transport, truck transport
Posted in Freight Rail, Heavy Haul Trucking | No Comments »
September 30th, 2011
So you’re driving down the road and you see a truck with a small house on the trailer drive past you. What you might not realize is that before that house even made it onto the back of the trailer, a huge amount of planning had to go into exactly how the driver was going to get it from point A to point B.
Unlike standard sized loads, oversized freight can be, and often is, dimensionally larger and more awkward than what you’d usually find on the back of a truck. Because of that, before the engine can even be fired up on the truck, not only do escort vehicles have to be planned for (the little sedans and coupes with the lights on them and the signs saying “wide load” that move ahead of and behind the truck), but the route itself must be taken into account.
Planning the route has little to do with planning for traffic and more to do with planning to get the shipment to the final location in one piece. A small house on the back of a truck will be far more difficult to fit underneath an overpass than a standard trailer. Because of that, a plan that will avoid low overpasses, foliage, and even power lines must be planned when dealing with oversized freight.
Tags: oversized freight, oversized logistics, oversized shipping, route planning
Posted in Heavy Haul Trucking, Oversize Loads, Overweight Loads | No Comments »
September 28th, 2011
Both rail and trucks offer the ability to ship items that are perishable, most specifically food, in refrigerated trailers and cars, preserving the food from spoiling during its trip to a grocery store to be purchased later.
This has the added benefit of allowing foods that are typically unavailable or not grown in an area to be had by consumers that want them, such as oranges grown in Florida being sold in Minnesota or peaches from Georgia finding their way to Oregon.
The protection from spoilage not only protects the health of those eating the food, but expands the customer base for those selling the food, allowing both to benefit.
Tags: food spoilage, rail shipments, refrigerated shipments, shipping technology, truck shipments
Posted in Freight Rail | No Comments »
August 23rd, 2011
At first glance you would think that flatbed and lowboy trailers were the same trailer with just a small cosmetic difference. Both feature an open surface that allows for them to be loaded from any angle, and the lack of sides and a top means they can carry loads of a size and dimension that wouldn’t fit in a normal trailer.
While these observations would be mostly correct, there is one big difference between the two, namely that the lowboy trailer has two height changes, creating a kind of well that sits lower to the ground than the rest of the trailer. Unlike a standard flatbed trailer, this kind of trailer can carry taller cargo that would normally violate height restrictions on another trailer.
Thanks to the lowboy trailer, abnormally high cargo can still be transported without having to find special routes that don’t have low points that could create a problem.
Tags: flatbed trailers, flatbed trucks, heavy haul trucking, lowboy trailers, oversized loads
Posted in Heavy Haul Trucking, Oversize Loads, Overweight Loads | No Comments »
August 16th, 2011
Rail has a long history in this country, from transporting soldiers and supplies during the Civil War to letting commuters get to work without having to drive from far away. While the popularity of rail has declined for the general public, it continues to be a major player in the commercial world.
Rail poses a great boon to commercial industry because of its hauling capacity. Now that’s not to say that trucks don’t continue to contribute, and in fact the two often work hand in hand, but whereas a truck can carry one, maybe two tractors, a freight train can carry an entire fleet of them.
Also, while both rail and trains have certain size and length restrictions on them, the restrictions on freight rail still allow them to carry more than any truck ever could, making them more economical as you can carry more per trip with a train. Coupled with a dedicated line of transport (no highway traffic to get stuck in for trains), and it’s easy to see why commercial rail is the friend of freight and oversized shipping.
Tags: freight rail, oversized shipping, rail transport
Posted in Freight Rail, Oversize Loads | No Comments »
July 29th, 2011
Have you ever wondered how exactly they secure those massive loads onto the trucks? It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you can just tie down with some rope from the local hardware store. Are there special ways of making sure that 2 ton piece of concrete doesn’t come flying off at whomever has the misfortune to be stuck behind them.
By and large, the methods used to secure those large loads aren’t that different than what you would use to secure a couch to the back of your truck. Now while you would use rope or a elastic straps, a truck uses straps and chains that are tested out to weights beyond what they’ll be hauling – in some cases 11,000 pounds.
Different states have different rules on what trucks can use to secure their loads, but while the materials and quality is different from what you would use after your trip to the hardware store, the methods aren’t really all that different for securing an oversized load like concrete tubes as opposed to a grill to the back of your pick-up truck.
Tags: oversized loads, securing oversized loads
Posted in Oversize Loads | No Comments »
July 27th, 2011
When somebody says “oversized load” I’m sure different things come to mind for different people. While one person might think of a personal pick-up truck overflowing with a chest of drawers and a couch, another person will immediately think of a small home on the back of a truck with cars surrounding it to warn nearby drivers. So which one’s right?
While the pick-up truck is certainly loaded up, when we say “oversized load” what we mean is more the second example. Moving loads that are are either unwieldy or that have to be moved on transports that just aren’t big enough because nothing can be is what is meant by oversized load.
Loads like the aforementioned home as well as some construction equipment and even materials such as large sections of concrete are all typically classified as oversized loads and require special equipment and training to move them on roads. These items can’t be loaded into a closed trailer and instead require a flatbed to be moved and still often stick off the end or sides due to their irregular shape and size.
Tags: oversized loads, oversized shipping
Posted in Oversize Loads | No Comments »
