Specialized Trucking Basics

Know the specialized truck transportation industry before you ship

Providing or hiring specialized transportation can involve many steps, depending on what you're shipping, but the most important step is research. Whether you're shipping tomatoes, frozen chicken, houses or acetone, know the regulations that govern the specialized trucking transport service you'll use to avoid legal hassles and safety issues.

Learn some specialized trucking basics from regulatory agencies and industry leaders, and decide for yourself how much of the shipping logistics you'll handle and how much you'll leave to the pros. Many specialized trucking companies will take care of important details such as:

1. Licensed and highly trained pilot car drivers to travel with oversized trucking loads.

2. Hazardous materials transport drivers with hazmat license endorsements, and trucks with the proper signage and permits.

3. Cold storage or heated trucks for climate-controlled transport of temperature-sensitive loads.

 

Learn more about oversized transport for ultra-heavy, tall or wide loads

You'll need oversized transport services if the load you want hauled weighs more than the average tractor-trailer load or boasts dimensions that are longer than the average trailer, or are wider or taller than most tractor-trailer sleeper cabs. Many oversized transport providers call their service "heavy haul" service. The logistics of moving large machinery, equipment and even houses are intimidating, so do your research and find a dependable company with adequate references to avoid legal liability, massive transportation fines and substantial delays in shipping.
Try: Find federal measurements and state permitting requirements for oversized cargo from the Federal Highway Administration. Learn more about heavy-haul trucking services, permits, pilot cars, state laws and police escorts from Wideload Shipping. Explore some heavy-haul flatbed transport options from ShipNorthAmerica Transportation.

Arrange reliable, safe chemical transport by truck

If you need haz-mat transport services, first check with your state's transportation authority to ensure compliance with all state and federal hazardous material trucking regulations. Make sure your load is considered hazmat, then find a specialized transportation service with the appropriate hazmat transport licensing and driver safety training.
Try: Find out if your load is considered hazardous materials by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Expand your knowledge of the hazmat specialized transportation service industry with "Transporting Liquids and Chemicals by Truck Basics" from Work.com.

Provide or hire climate-controlled transport for any size load

Many specialized trucking companies provide transport for oversized, hazmat and refrigerated loads. When trucking frozen or refrigerated cargo, the shipper can choose to fill an entire "reefer" truck, or hire a Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) carrier who combines partial loads with similar temperature needs to reduce shipping costs for shippers and increase revenue for the trucking company. On the flip side, some carriers offer heated load options to protect sensitive loads from extreme environmental cold during shipping. Some companies also offer temperature-controlled warehouse storage for cargo scheduled for a long-haul layover or otherwise delayed shipping.
Try: Read an overview of refrigerated trucking basics, including a brief glossary and some points to remember, from Trademark. Learn more about expanded climate-controlled transport services, including cheese aging and custom cargo defrosting, from Northland Cold Storage.

 

• Hire a specialized vehicle transport company to ship construction equipment, tractors, yachts and multiple cars cross-country. Just remember to leave no more than one-quarter tank of gas in any vehicle you'll be shipping by truck; it's the law, both in the U.S. and abroad.

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