Seeking advice from the collective expertise here. I am in search of innovative methods to transport multiple attachments and small equipment to various job sites efficiently. Recently, I came across Peaqua trailers featuring pallet fork tubes mounted under the frame, which inspired me to create a similar setup for carrying forks. In addition, I am exploring ideas to transport a plate compactor, extra backhoe buckets, brush grapple, and even a Harley rake when required. It would be beneficial to have shovel and rake racks to prevent equipment from being haphazardly thrown over the trailer's side. My goal is to minimize trips and avoid leaving equipment on-site whenever possible. Do any of you have ingenious transportation solutions that I could draw inspiration from? Thus far, apart from the fork tubes, I have considered options such as investing in a longer equipment trailer (although I had other spending priorities this year) or acquiring a dump body with a barn door tailgate for easier loading of equipment. On a more humorous note, the idea of justifying a new dump truck purchase with the barn door tailgate option crossed my mind. Perhaps a double rig setup could work - one trailer for the backhoe and another for the remaining equipment. Has anyone documented their setups with photos? Thank you, Korey
Last year, we invested in a new tiltbed trailer specifically to transport our skid steer and all of its attachments. While it can be a bit of a hassle to haul everything at once, we make it work. Typically, we don't need to bring all four attachments to a single site. Our trailer is a 21-foot dovetail drop deck with 16 feet of tilt and 5 feet of stationary deck. When loading, I drive the Harley onto the stationary deck in the 5-foot section at the front. Then, I carefully side-load the bucket and forks as far forward as possible, ensuring to use blocks to prevent tilting. After securing the attachments, I load the trencher onto the machine and we're ready to go. If we had two trucks set up for hauling attachments, we would have a tow rig for the machine and a flatbed truck for additional attachments, tools, and fuel. My dad prefers to do things the traditional way, but having a service truck dedicated to equipment transport would be convenient. For a pickup chassis, a Stahl dump box with fold-down sides would be ideal. With a 10-foot box, we could easily fit one or two attachments depending on the size.
Could you please give me a rundown of your current inventory of trucks, trailers, equipment, and attachments? Let me know what you have available.
Cascade, I'm thrilled to hear that the tilt trailer is serving you well. I considered getting one a few months back and thought it was a great concept. I'm torn between opting for one of those or sticking with a traditional deckover for my next purchase. The fold-down side feature is tempting, but it does add extra weight to the trailer. When considering a new dump truck, I am heavily leaning towards a single axle Peterbilt 335 with a 10' Ox body equipped with barn doors. It's a significant investment, but my truck and backhoe are crucial for my work. I dream of owning a service body truck to transport all the necessary equipment like fuel, air compressors, and tools to job sites, possibly with an attachment trailer in tow. However, this plan hinges on finding a trustworthy driver who can handle the responsibility without any mishaps, and also being able to afford their services. It's also important to find a decent, affordable, used service body truck. My current equipment inventory includes an International 4700 S/A 10' dump truck, an 18' 6-ton equipment trailer, a Komatsu D-20A Dozer, a Kubota L39 Backhoe, and various attachments such as backhoe buckets, a GP loader bucket, pallet forks, a rock bucket/brush grapple, a T-6 Harley rake, a landscape rake, a seeder/spreader, a plate compactor, and all the tools necessary for hardscaping and light dirt work like a laser level, a paver wet saw, hammers, string lines, stakes, chainsaws, shovels, rakes, fuel, and more. It's no wonder it takes me so long to prepare for each job - the amount of equipment involved can be overwhelming at times.
I customized my lowbed trailer by adding a rack to transport various construction equipment and tools such as a ripper tooth, skeleton bucket, hydraulic grading tilt clean-up bucket, fuel tank, tool box, transit, chainsaws, hand tools, chains, compactor, and pump. Despite its efficiency, I encountered an issue with DOT regulations and had to sell it because I couldn't prove it was rated for under 10,000 pounds. Now, I am in search of a 10k trailer to modify for my needs, as the previous one was too large. In hindsight, I would have placed the buckets on top and the fuel/tool box underneath to distribute weight better. My welder initially had concerns about the weight on top, but later realized it would have been fine. I hope this experience inspires some ideas for your own projects.
Our team utilizes a sturdy Knaack jobbox, measuring approximately 6'x2'x2', to store all our essential tools, including shovels, hardscaping equipment, Stihl and brick saws, a laser, and more. This jobbox is not only waterproof but also securely locked, making it convenient to leave at job sites as needed. We typically position it atop the skid bucket or secure it in the back of our super duty truck, allowing space for additional attachments or pallets. A split deck for our tilt could also accommodate the jobbox if necessary. Additionally, we have noticed that the state highway department uses a foldable rack on their trailer to hold attachments, although we have not examined it closely.
Answer: - Some innovative methods include utilizing trailers with pallet fork tubes for carrying forks, investing in a longer equipment trailer, acquiring a dump body with a barn door tailgate for easier loading, or considering a double rig setup with separate trailers for different equipment.
Answer: - Features like shovel and rake racks can help prevent equipment from being haphazardly thrown over the trailer's side, ensuring a more organized transportation process.
Answer: - To minimize trips and avoid leaving equipment on-site, it's essential to plan efficient transportation solutions that allow for carrying multiple attachments and equipment in one go, reducing the need for multiple trips.
Answer: - While specific setups may vary, some individuals may have documented their transportation solutions with photos, providing visual inspiration for creating efficient setups for transporting various attachments and equipment.
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