Whether you’re looking to bring in new wood poles, steel poles, or concrete poles, hauling utility poles can be quite the challenge.
You can’t rely on just any truck or company for your utility hauling needs. Instead, you need the right equipment for utility pole hauling.
Exactly what equipment will you need?
Keep reading to find out.
Overlength Trucks
First and foremost, you need an overlength truck to haul utility poles and transformers. Typical hauling trucks have a set load limit for what they can carry on different roads. The maximum height and gross weight permitted with traditional trucks won't suffice for utility poles. Overlength or oversize trucks have a higher limit than other trucks and are the best solution for pole transport. Any load that exceeds the limit requires an oversize vehicle.
Given that utility poles are typically 30-60 feet long and extremely heavy, a regular hauling truck can’t support them. This is why an overlength truck is crucial to hauling poles to your material yard. Overlength trucks have the necessary length and strength to support this heavy cargo in their pole trailers.
Straps
Once you have the poles on the overlength truck, you must secure them. The last thing you want is for these massive poles to slip, slide, or fall off during transport!
So, you’ll need straps to secure the poles to the truck bed. As you might imagine, your everyday hauling straps won’t get the job done. You need durable straps that can wrap all the way around the pole pile and safely secure them to the truck.
Flatbed Guards
In addition to straps, having posts or guards on the flatbed truck is also ideal. These posts help to keep the poles from sliding or rolling off the side.
Not all trucks include these posts, but they make a huge difference when it comes to pole hauling. They can give the truck driver peace of mind and ensure a much safer transport process overall.
Crane
Once the utility poles make it to your material yard, then comes another huge challenge: unloading. Getting these massive poles off of the truck is no easy task. It requires specialized equipment and often additional help.
Most hauling companies force you to deal with unloading on your own. Why? Because they don’t have the necessary equipment for unloading.
This is why a truck with a built-in crane is so helpful. With a crane attached to the truck, the haulers can quickly and efficiently unload your utility poles into a neat pile at your job site.
The Solution for Pole Hauling Equipment
As you can see, there are a few key pieces of equipment you need for safe, efficient utility pole hauling. However, getting your hands on the necessary equipment is not easy or practical for most utility project managers.
The pole hauling equipment you need includes specialty trucks, cranes, and other large, expensive equipment. Ultimately, it doesn’t make sense to purchase your own overlength trucks.
That is why choosing the right utility hauling company is so important. You need haulers that have the right specialty trucks and equipment to handle your pole hauling needs.
Of course, not all utility hauling companies are the same. While many different companies claim they can help with utility hauling, you want to choose a quality provider for your project.
Here are some of the qualities to look for in a utility pole hauling company:
Equipment: Of course, you want utility haulers that have all of the necessary equipment including specialty trucks that are suited for overlength loads.
Experience: Look for a company with extensive experience hauling poles. While years of experience are important, the type of experience matters more.
Commitment to Safety: safety is critical for the proper loading and unloading of utility poles. You need a company that’s committed to keeping its workers and your team safe the whole time.
Asset-Based: Asset-based hauling companies own their overlength trucks and directly hire their drivers. Working with an asset-based hauling company offers many benefits including reliability and quality.
Self-Unloading: Few companies provide self-unloading services, but the ones that do offer a huge advantage to your team. Opt for a self-unloading hauling company that will unload your utility poles at the material yard.
Blackwood Resources is Here to Help
For a hauling company that has all of the pole hauling equipment and experience you need, look no further than Blackwood Resources!
We provide self-unloading as part of our utility hauling services. Since our inception in 2017, we’ve demonstrated a track record of safety. You can count on our professional operators for quality utility hauling. Whether you need help hauling wood poles, steel poles, concrete poles, or transformers, you can count on our asset-based team.
Learn more about our utility hauling equipment and services today. Contact us today at jamie@blackwoodresources.com or 812-676-8770 to learn more about our services or to schedule your haul.