Broadly defined, haulage is the transport of commercial goods from one point to another. Often, this is the delivery of cargo from a warehouse or production facility to an installation site. Alternatively, haulage can involve the collection and removal of goods, particularly in terms of site clearance or construction waste management.
As such, heavy haulage describes the transportation of particularly large or weighty goods. These journeys typically require a special permit or a professional escort to ensure that the route can be completed safely, where drivers must be trained to operate these large vehicles.
Read on to find out more about heavy haulage services, with an insight into how these vehicles operate and the various road regulations involved.
Heavy Haulage & Commercial Industries
Heavy haulage is an essential part of the economy, where sizable cargo requires regular relocation to ensure everything is where it needs to be. In general, loads exceeding 25,000 kg are usually considered to be a heavy haulage operation, where some heavy haulage vehicles are able to transport loads exceeding 100 tons, or 100,000 kg.
All kinds of industries depend on heavy haulage journeys. Construction projects in particular often require the relocation of large prefabricated structures, where these could include wind turbines, housing units and parts for industrial plants.
Beyond this, marine and automotive industries also require heavy haulage services. Modes of transport such as cars, planes and ships may need to be built at a distance from their destinations, where cargo will have to be driven to a shipyard or airfield for final assembly.
Heavy Haulage Vehicles
In recent years, various heavy haulage methods have been developed to ensure that cargo can be transported safely, without endangering the plant operator or nearby motorists.
A range of vehicle combinations and configurations allow bulky cargo to remain in a fixed, stable position throughout the journey, where some of these solutions are discussed below:
Ballast Tractors & Hydraulic Modular Trailers
A popular heavy haulage method involves using a ballast tractor that’s pulled by a hydraulic modular trailer. For particularly large transportation projects, multiple tractors and trailers may be connected in a train in various configurations.
Ballast tractors are weighted to make them suitable for heavy haulage operations. These then utilise a specialist drawbar to either push or pull heavy trailer loads. The scale of these tractors typically means that drivers need to complete vehicle-specific training before they are permitted to steer a heavy cargo shipment.
The hydraulic modular trailer is a specialist platform that has been adapted for the task of heavy haulage. These trailers typically feature swing axles, hydraulic suspension and independently steerable wheels, all of which makes it easier for the tractor driver to control a heavy load.
Heavy Haulage Trucks & Escort Vehicles
Another variation on this is to use a specialist heavy haulage truck, where the driver’s cab and trailer are part of the same vehicle. These truck beds can vary in size and design according to the load in question.
For instance, a low loader truck may be used for drive-on cargo or other heavy loads that require a very low loading deck. In contrast, a tipper truck may be used for loose building materials such as aggregates, where this allows the contents to be easily discharged at the destination.
If these haulage trucks are particularly sizable, then they will need to be accompanied by an escort vehicle, or multiple vehicles. This is especially necessary if the truck is wider than standard road markings, where the escort vehicles will alert other drivers of the load and anticipate hazards on route.
Car Transporters
A specialist variation of the heavy haulage truck is the car transporter, where these vehicles are designed to hold and relocate multiple automobiles in a single journey. They usually come with built-in storage equipment that holds the cars in place, often by positioning vehicles across multiple tiers.
Different variations of these transporters can be used to relocate motorbikes, electric scooters and prefabricated car parts, all of which must remain securely fixed throughout the entire journey. Sometimes, if these transporters are particularly large, then they will also enlist the help of an escort vehicle, where this driver will be on the lookout for potential cargo movement and oncoming hazards.
Rules & Regulations for Heavy Haulage
Most heavy haulage operations in the UK are regulated by the Road Vehicles (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 and the Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) Regulations 1998.
These regulations outline the various permissions that need to be obtained to drive a heavy load on public roads, as well as when an attendant or vehicle escort is required by law.
Over Length
In particular, vehicles that are abnormally long must obey specific road regulations. Over long vehicles are those where one unit or a trailer drawn by an articulated unit exceeds 18.75 metres in length. For combination vehicles, such as a tractor and hydraulic platform, the stated length is 25.9 metres.
Vehicles that exceed these length limitations must give two days of notice to the local police in the areas of driving, and the vehicle must be accompanied by an attendant or escort.
Over Width
When it comes to vehicle width, preparations must be made if a load measures up to 3 metres, with an additional projecting load exceeding 305 millimetres on one or both sides. In these cases, two days' notice must be given to local police forces.
Load widths exceeding 3.5 metres with additional projections must make arrangements for an escort vehicle as well as providing the police with at least two days of notice.
Notably larger loads exceeding 5 metres must receive permission to drive from the Secretary of State in the form of a VR1 permit. They must also provide two days of notice to the police and arrange for an attendant vehicle.
Special Orders
Special orders give heavy haulage companies permission to drive on public roads, where these are usually granted by the government’s Vehicle Certification Agency or National Highways.
These permissions are required if the loaded vehicle exceeds:
150,000kg in gross weight
16,500kg in gross axle weight
6.1 metres wide
If applying for your special orders from the National Highways Birmingham office, then you will need to provide 5 working days of notice to relevant highway authorities, as well as the standard two days notice to local police forces.
P R Weldhen: Haulage Services You Can Depend On
At P R Weldhen, we provide a variety of bulk haulage services to help you to move your cargo from A to B. Whether you’re working in construction, engineering or agriculture, our specialists are on hand to assist you. We offer both self-drive and operated vehicles, so you can find the solution that works best for your unique transportation project.
When you work with a professional heavy haulage company like P R Weldhen, you can expect to receive industry specific advice to guide you through the entire process. We can also take care of difficult loading tasks and special order applications, helping to make the entire transportation process stress free and straightforward.
Our specialist Artic vehicles are ideal for all kinds of heavy plant haulage, whether you’re looking to relocate a construction vehicle or collect essential parts. We can provide both low loader lorries and tipping lorries to assist in your haulage project, where these services are available throughout Cornwall.
Beyond this, we can also deliver topsoil and aggregates to your site, in addition to removing construction waste and other debris. We only ever supply the very best quality aggregates, where we’re always ready to find a delivery time that suits your busy schedule.
Our trustworthy team have been operating heavy haulage vehicles for decades, where our skilled drivers can be depended on to handle your load with care. Further to this, when you work with us we will offer you a free, no-obligation quote ahead of time, so you can understand the costs involved before you sign up.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about our comprehensive services.
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