The concept of the services of heavy haulage has an extensive range of meaning for different businesses in the UK. These kinds of haulage services work for carrying the abnormal loads and the goods that are heavy in weight. In the work process of various road networks, the heavy cargo works under the UK transport regulations. Here, the people work beyond the typical form of shipping. They use specialised forms of machines like the low-loaders and multi-axle trailers. They use the systems that are helpful to carry the massive items safely. The goods that are being carried here are various forms of wind turbines and their components, machine parts of different industries, and components of bridges.
Due to the reason that these kinds of haulage services work with many complexities, the haulage companies work with higher levels of planning. They add expertise of engineers, they work on route surveys, and they take permits from local authorities. They also use various forms of escort vehicles to ensure compliance and maintain safety. When people working on a project need to move the entire transformer of power and/or a huge section of a pre-fabricated building, the need for heavy hauling becomes essential.
Read this article to have an awareness of what heavy hauling methods actually are and which of the projects need these services.
When Does Your Project Need A Heavy Haulage Service?
When your goods go beyond the standard level of weight, height and/or size and cannot be carried in the standard form of truck, you need the services of heavy haulage.
Cargo dimensions that are more than the standard limit: You may need a heavy hauling service when the dimensions of the cargo cross the standard limits. In the UK these depend on the types of Lorries. For example, if the types are of Rigid Lorries that are not semi-trailers the length can be 18.75 metres, and if the types are of standard Articulated Lorries and/or the semi-trailers, they can be 16.5 metres in length. Different types of Lorries have different levels of maximum length.
Cargo weight that is more than the standard limit: Different forms of haulage companies also work with cargo weight that is more than the standard form of limit. In the UK, the typical form of cargo weight can be 21,700 kg for the containers that are of 20ft and are non-heavy plated. The weight can be 27,00o kg if the containers are of 20 ft and are heavily plated.
For the items that are non-dismantlable: You may also need a heavy hauling vehicle when the goods are non-dismantlable. They can come in the form of fragile goods, goods that are irregularly shaped, and goods that are abnormal in weight and size. You need to follow the UK transport regulations here.
Types of escort vehicles used in the UK: To carry some of the heavy goods, the UK people work with some of the escort vehicles. They can be escorts for abnormal loads and the vehicles that work in high-security situations. These vehicles are equipped with various forms of radios and lights.
Industries That Need Heavy Haulage Services
There are many industries in the UK that work with the services of heavy haulage. Let’s cheque some of them.
Construction business: In the construction business, there are various abnormal loads that need to be carried by heavy hauling. They can be steel, gravel, and lumber. Here, the vehicles that are needed are like flatbed and/or dump trucks. Here various forms of permitted fuel and skilled workers are needed to load and unload the goods.
Businesses of the energy sector: In the UK, the business and commerce of the energy sector people rely on the services of heavy hauling. Here, people need to carry the machines that are oversized and materials that are hazardous. They can also be various forms of chemicals and fuels.
Resources and mining industries: For carrying the goods in the mining industry, the hauliers may need vehicles like trolley assist trucks, various forms of conveyor systems, etc. They can also use the load-haul-dump loaders. Their goods carriage should work under UK transport regulations to reduce the negative environmental impacts of this haulage.
Industry of manufacturing: In the UK, various haulage companies also work for the manufacturing industry. Here, the vehicles are needed to carry the raw materials and prepared goods. They can be carried from the production place to the distribution centre.
Farming and agriculture: The sector of agriculture and farming needs haulage services. They are needed to carry goods like various forms of seeds and fertilisers. They also carry the harvested crops. If they need to carry oversized goods and/or machines of farming they need escort vehicles.
Aerospace sector: In the industry of aerospace, heavy-hauling vehicles are used to carry goods. Here, the goods can be of high weight, and they can be sensitive. The goods here can be fuselages and engines for aircrafts.
Marine world: In the marine world heavy hauling is needed in the form of a large aquatic system of transport to carry goods like large-scale filtration and machines for life support.
How To Plan The Project?
For better results in heavy haulage, you need to work on a proper plan and initiatives for a project.
Details of routes: Different haulage companies in the UK work on implementing their hauling actions by conducting route surveys. They can be done by checking the road infrastructure and restrictions. They also have to work on the goods’ weight and vehicle type for a particular condition of the road. They work on checking the hours of driving and the time of curfews.
Details of vehicles: In the UK the hauliers work on taking the details of the vehicles. They can come in the form of heavy commercial vehicles, in the form of specialised trailers, and in the form of tractor-trailers with escort vehicles.
Use of special kinds of machines: People of heavy hauling also work on checking whether in the haulage vehicles special kinds of machines are used. Here the vehicles should be prepared with enhanced levels of safety features and higher levels of capacity to carry extreme loads.
Driver training: The training arrangement for the drivers is also very significant. They should be well-trained to handle an extreme situation while making the trips.
Various initiatives for permits and licenses: The hauliers should work under UK transport regulations. They should have the permits like an HGV licence, the driver CPC, and safety permits for heavy-weight loads.
Assessment of risks and their management: The goods and the vehicles should be checked for any kind of risks. They can be done by looking at specific risks of the site, working time of the drivers, drivers’ fatigue, and use of drugs and alcohol while making the trip.
Condition of weather: The condition of the weather should also be checked while carrying the abnormal loads into heavy haulage. In the UK, the weather can change at any time. Thus, there should be checks whether there are any chances of snowfall and/or strong winds.
Access to the delivery site: In the process of heavy form of transport the access to the site should also be proper. This should be done by an advanced level of planning and a proper survey of the site.
Checks for UK transport regulations: In the process of carrying the abnormal loads, you need to cheque the UK transport regulations. These are related to gross weight and size of the goods, the type of vehicles, and the experience of the drivers.
Heavy haulage and sustainability concerns: In the UK, various haulage companies are using vehicles that reduce noise and air pollution. The haulage vehicles can produce 40% of the NOx and 60% of the substances of PM. Thus, the vehicles should work on proper management of logistics and should use alternative fuels.
Execution process of the plan: In the overall process of transporting the heavy goods as a haulier, you need to work on a plan. These plans should be related to the use of escort vehicles, checking different obstacles and the safety of the goods in transit.
Best level of goods delivery: In the final stage, the cargo should be offloaded and delivered in a proper way. Here you have to work with using appropriate lifting machines and maintain the security of the site. You have to cheque that everything has been done successfully.
Technology Integration Into Heavy Haulage In The UK
In the process of heavy haulage, hauliers in the current time are working with modern forms of technology.
Advanced systems of driver assistance: While carrying the abnormal loads, the drivers can work with ADAS. These are the electronic forms of technologies that help drivers use various cameras and sensors while driving.
AI-driven dashcams: Various forms of heavy goods and escort vehicles work with these AI-driven dashcams. They work with the support of Artificial Intelligence. They are helpful to cheque the risks in the trips and lane departures.
Use of smart Tachographs: Different kinds of smart Tachographs are also used by different haulage companies. They work with the help of GPS tractors, Bluetooth connectivity and other activities of fleet management.
HGVs that work on zero emissions: In the modern days, there are many heavy goods vehicles that are active in releasing zero emissions of CO2. They work on electronic and/or hydrogen-fueled cells. The drivers of such HGVs work on the basis of UK transport regulations.
Haulage Companies In The UK On Which You Can Rely
The work process of carrying the abnormal loads can be better if they are done by reputed haulage companies. Let’s cheque some of the haulage companies in the UK.
Rockley Transport: This is a company that has expertise in bulk tipping. They have been formed in the timeframe of 2020. They carry 2.5 million tonnes of goods in a year within different territories of the UK. Every employee of this company works on the basis of UK transport regulations.
DHL Supply Chain: This is one of the heavy haulage companies that work on carrying goods on the basis of contracts. They work for the warehousing and management of the supply chain.
Maritime Transport Ltd: This is a company located in the UK. They started their work in the timeframe of 2001. They have 3200 employees who work day and night. They work on container transportation within 40 sites.
FedEx UK: This Company provides shipping services for people in domestic and international territories. They also have escort vehicles that connect the country, like the UK, with various global networks. They give services to 220 countries.
Summing It Up
Whether large or small, any form of business in the UK needs the services of heavy haulage. This happens especially when they want to carry the goods that are heavy and/or are abnormal loads. These heavy hauling companies should be accurate in service, and they should follow the UK transport regulations.
The experts and professionals in these services work to cheque whether there is any risk in the operations of the vehicle components. They also cheque the conditions of the routes and the conditions of weather. They work on evaluating when and how they need to use escort vehicles.
Here, you should always know better when the right time is to have a heavy hauling service. This will be based on the dimensions, the weight, and the height of the goods. As time passes, the companies of heavy goods transport are using the algorithms of AI and ML. They are active in making plans for managing the process of loading, carrying, off-loading, and delivering the goods safely to the destination. After all, every key step should be integrated properly to have a progressive operation!
