Heavy Equipment Used in Construction

The safe and legal transportation of heavy cargo and construction equipment is no easy task. When handling some of the most massive pieces of machinery ever built by humankind, a set loading, transportation, and unloading protocol is not only a best practice — it’s the only practice. We recommend using these guidelines for safely hauling construction equipment.

Preparation is key. When nearly half of all injuries occur during loading and unloading heavy equipment, safety measures need to be taken from the beginning for mitigating liabilities and avoiding construction accidents. Let’s review the proper ways to prepare heavy equipment for transport.

When it comes to heavy equipment liability, construction companies bear the responsibility of dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s. Risk assessments are preemptive compliance documents allowing you to prove how detailed and thorough your fleet management processes are.

Consider adding one for your equipment transportation preparation protocol. They can be done by a senior manager or supervisor, containing the full operation and transportation timeline and its weight loads, plus relevant project risks and what’s been done to address them.

We can’t say it enough — safety is the backbone of the industry. Having your crew wear a complete set of personal protective equipment is a safety standard across all construction operations, not just when preparing for safe & legal transport of heavy cargo. It’s also something routinely overlooked, with many sites taking shortcuts to chain up a trailer quickly and move on to the next task.

PPE documentation is also a risk-mitigation strategy. You’ll round out a stronger risk assessment and permit application when you note all the safety protocols you and your crew adhere to on top of routine tie-down requirements for heavy equipment.