Understanding Heavy Haulage Costs
Moving heavy freight isn't always straightforward. A lot goes into making ensure your freight reaches its destination safely. And before you start looking for heavy haulage services, it's imperative to understand a few things first. For instance, heavy haulage services can be expensive. That's because heavy commercial trucks have to be used. In addition, you need to acquire permits and use other heavy equipment like forklifts to load and unload your freight. Therefore, it's imperative to budget well for heavy haulage to avoid surprises down the line. That means knowing what determines heavy haulage costs can go a long way in helping you plan accordingly. With that in mind, below are some factors that will determine your heavy haulage costs.
Government Regulations
Strict laws and regulations usually exist when it comes to heavy haulage. For instance, strict legal guidelines exist on the maximum driving hours for commercial drivers within a day. Therefore, the longer the driver takes to get your freight to the destination, the more you may pay. In addition, you may need to acquire permits and pay tolls depending on where you're transporting your cargo, so keep that in mind when budgeting.
Your Freight
What are you transporting? Your freight will always play a significant role in the haulage costs. Generally, bigger and heavier freight comes with costlier haulage costs. That's because such freight tends to require more labour. In addition, larger equipment is needed to handle bigger and heavier freight. Do you have over-dimensional freight? This is generally freight that's bigger than the legal dimensions. Such freight will also attract more charges as you will need to cover the expenses of acquiring permits. It's worth noting that the cost may vary depending on the location as different areas tend to have different rules regarding what's considered as legal dimensions.
Accessorial Charges
Moving heavy equipment will always come with extras that ensure the safe delivery of the equipment. Therefore, it's imperative to know some of these extras beforehand. For instance, you may need pilot vehicles and extra equipment like forklifts and cranes. In addition, to protect your freight during transit, you may need specialised packaging materials, tarping and other accessories. Therefore, consider such material costs when budgeting for heavy haulage.
Season
The season of the year can also affect your haulage costs. For instance, winter transport may come at a higher cost because of considerable hazardous weather conditions. You can also check the weather before hiring haulage services to ensure it won't significantly impact costs.
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