Moving Equipment Long Distance

[Dataway]

I've got some equipment I need to move from the Saratoga NY area to West TN (Martin area) .. never done this sort of thing so I need some advice.
I'd like to hire tractor trailer with lowboy trailer to move:
Ford 1715 with bucket and backhoe
Kubota BX2200
Rock Rake
5 foot disc cultivator
3 point mounted chipper
Tow behind log splitter

and if possible an ATV and maybe a garden tractor (Cub Cadet)

Open trailer is fine. Everything runs and moves. Some of the stuff would need to be loaded up on the trailer by the Kubota like the disc'er, chipper and log splitter, one implement can stay attached to the Kubota. Can put the rock rake in the bucket of the 1715. Date of move would be sometime around the first week of May 2024. I have no real idea how this process works as far as loading time allowed, time windows etc.

Any advice, or pricing information etc. is welcome.

Thanks.

 

[ponytug]

I guess my overall question is are you planning on doing this with your vehicle, or hiring someone?

If it is you doing it, how big a vehicle is pulling this? I would get and use lots of chains or straps, and keep checking them. Plan where the weight is going to be relative to your axles and hitch/king pin. I find the premade edge protectors can be really helpful for strapping some equipment down. Don't forget the effect of wind on things like the hood and covers on your tractor. My $0.02 is use more than you think you need, and if you haven't done it, check out youtube, as there are some nice trucking / load management videos there.

Last Saturday I had to rapidly take some evasive action when someone's pickup on a low boy lost the rigid tonneau cover at 65mph because the pickup was backed onto the low boy with no strapping on the cover. It went cartwheeling into traffic. Some other drivers had a really bad Saturday morning...

All the best,

Peter

 

[sea2summit]

Hiring a semi you’re probably looking at $4.50-7 per loaded mile.

If a hotshot can do the load probably $2-6 per loaded mile.

 

[MTGreen]

I had a very similar problem recently for a 1200 mile move. I solved the problem by purchasing a 5 ton medium duty 18.5' flatbed truck and hooking up my 18' flatbed trailer. Ended up taking 7.5 round trips with multiple trailers for equipment and shop but this rig would take your listed equipment in one run.

I paid 9k for the truck which needed some work and after repair I'm looking to sell it locally and come to find out it's worth north of 20k.
The beauty of this option is if you stick with a 10k trailer on a medium duty you don't need a CDL and can save quite a bit by doing it yourself. Also you should be able to sell the truck when you're done with little to no depreciation (or in my case appreciation after repair)

 

[andre3k]

Check out u-ship. Paying someone to haul that much equipment won't be cheap.

 

[Dataway]

I won't be driving the semi, I have about six more trips to make with my PU truck and trailer hauling other things. I was hoping for about $3.50 a mile or basically anything $4000 or below. Hotshot might work, I'd be looking at 8,000 lb minimum, more likely around 9,000.

I have a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 with a 5.3, tow package, HD cooling, something like a 3.53 locking diff. Beautifully maintained. Rated to tow 9,300 ... but, it turned over 100k miles on the last trip so I like to keep it 6,000 lbs or below. I'll be using it to haul the furniture, shop equipment and probably a 68 GTO. We've made 3 trips down and back with it already.

After looking around it does appear Hotshot would be the solution for me. One of the gooseneck lowboys would be ideal.

My cost down and back is about $600 in fuel, plus food, room etc. so if a hauler can save me three trips it's at least $2000 not to mention the time down and back. In a pinch I can rent a trailer and tow everything down myself ... but it won't save me any money, and it's a lot to expect from my old truck.

 

[Dataway]

Took a look at Uship, looks like a great place to start the process.

 

[ponytug]

I think that it is a wise choice not to be pushing your truck. @MTGreen's route is a reasonable one as well. I would a look at FreightCenter.com, with whom I have had good luck in the past. You might reach out to a freight broker as well.

With diesel prices where they are and the recent implosion of Yellow, it is not the cheapest time to be trying to ship, with freight up for the holidays. Since you have time, next winter or spring is likely to have better rates.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Hay Dude]

I’ve had good luck with U-ship, too. Just make sure you hire someone who is established and has adequate positive reviews.

 

[groundcover]

Wonder if it would make sense to sell some stuff and buy what you need when you are settled ?

 

[CliffordK]

I've had really bad experiences with so called "trucking companies" who just seemed to be brokers that really wanted to write contracts, but had no trucks, and no plan to actually pick up the load. A very odd business model, but it is no skin off their backs if they write a bunch of contracts, and say 1 out of 10 are actually picked up and hauled, or they miss deadlines by weeks or months.

Do you have two drivers?

You could rent a U-Haul, Ryder, or similar one-way. Perhaps purchase a second trailer. Then tow a load down with the pickup, and haul a load with the box truck, plus tow a second trailer. Then figure out how to load the two trailers, and tow both of them back north.

Two loads with the pickup, box truck, and two trailers, and you'd have a lot of stuff moved.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Took a look at Uship, looks like a great place to start the process.

i had trouble getting anyone to move equipment on uship when I tried to get a baler to ohio.

 

[CliffordK]

i had trouble getting anyone to move equipment on uship when I tried to get a baler to ohio.

Shipping a baler long distance may be a problem. If you're towing them on the built in two wheels, they're overwidth. OK to some extent for agricultural, but potentially a pain for commercial haulers. And, if you have a hot shot trucker, are you asking them to leave their trailer home?

How are they shipped new? Disassembled and crated?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Shipping a baler long distance may be a problem. If you're towing them on the built in two wheels, they're overwidth. OK to some extent for agricultural, but potentially a pain for commercial haulers. And, if you have a hot shot trucker, are you asking them to leave their trailer home?

How are they shipped new? Disassembled and crated?

It fit on a trailer, I ended up borrowing my neighbors trailer and hauled it myself. Could not get a uship to do it.

 

[CliffordK]

It fit on a trailer, I ended up borrowing my neighbors trailer and hauled it myself. Could not get a uship to do it.

Ahhh, I was thinking of the small square balers that are very wide. At least the older side feed ones.

I tried to get a car shipped from Detroit to Oregon. Looked up "car shipping" on Google. Sent an E-mail to someone advertising on Google as a shipper, and got 100 responses from "brokers". I selected one that wrote a contract to pick it up at a reasonable price (calling himself a shipper). Then the pickup date came and went without them picking it up. Meanwhile I was being charged daily storage fees. I ended up scrambling to organize driving cross country, and spent several hundred in storage fees. The whole experience was very unpleasant.

---------------------------

That does remind me. I've been hunting for a used telehandler which is just too big to haul myself. So, I talked to one of the local equipment auction houses and they gave me a list of local truckers that they work with.

A list of real names of local truckers, not fake brokers that insert themselves as middle men.

I can't say if they would haul 1000 miles one-way. Perhaps they would pick up the job if the timing was right. Anyway, a local auction house might be a good place to get names.

 

[Dataway]

I was thinking about inquiring at the local tractor dealerships to see if they had any insight into local haulers I could use.

My only other driver would be my wife, we've got to tow through Cleveland, Cincinnati, and a couple other cities ... she is nervous enough just doing the navigating, don't think I could keep my mind on driving with here along in another vehicle.

I recently shipped a motorcycle from NY to Chicago ... and yes the broker supplied driver was a couple of days late getting here, lots of sitting around waiting for him only to be told he wasn't going to make it that day.

And yes I've already sold off numerous pieces, including a 35' tow behind boom lift that I would have liked to keep .. but it would have meant another slow trip down and I honestly don't have a real use for it.

 

[CliffordK]

Driving one following the other may not be as bad as driving completely apart. Although if you're expecting your wife to be pulling a trailer with your pickup, then she would have to be comfortable driving the rig.

Modern GPS navigation is nice. After using GPS on phones for about 20 years with varying results, I'm quite happy with Google Maps on my current cell phone. The auditory route directions are very good. Some annoying quirks, but overall very good.

There should be ways to go hands free for both Google Maps, as well as voice communication between phones (unlimited minutes?)

 

[Dataway]

We have a navigation setup that looks like we're in the Shuttle Craft. Phones attached to windshield, tablet mounted on the glove box. Tablet using the phone as a hotspot to keep the navigation updated on road conditions. My wife is very smart, but has what I would call very low situational awareness

So far I've been trying to keep things as simple as possible. Any problem 500 miles from old home, or new home could balloon into a very expensive, very annoying problem. I'd rather make two simple trips than one sketchy trip. Another issue is that personally I like to drive the 18 hours straight through ... also not safe without someone next to you keeping you alert.

If we can get the equipment shipped down ... the rest isn't a problem really.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
My only other driver would be my wife, we've got to tow through Cleveland, Cincinnati, and a couple other cities ... she is nervous enough just doing the navigating, don't think I could keep my mind on driving with here along in another vehicle.

I'd rather make two simple trips than one sketchy trip. Another issue is that personally I like to drive the 18 hours straight through ...

An 18 hour trip IS a sketchy trip. A slight problem (major traffic jam, storm, flat tire) can turn it into an all day event.
I've been trying to move from Alexandria, Va to Fulton, Ms. since 2010, only about 900 miles. Used to be a 1 day trip routinely, but then the wife used to drive part on the way back if we didn't have a trailer. But life got in the way, expenses worked out, so we treat it more as a vacation home with benefits.
About pre-Covid we started to make it a 2 day trip, well worth the extra $100 for lodging.
Find a GOOD secure place to stay where you can easily park and unpark your trailer (pull throughs are preferred) and have it ready to call in case you need it.
And whatever you pick for your final hotshot type transporter make sure they are insured.

 

[Dataway]

We have places saved as our relief motels at about the 12 hour mark either going or coming. And yes, depending on what our load is that trip, or type of trailer we are using, security is a worry. So far we've done the 18 hour drive 3 legs, and a stop on three legs. The stop usually just doesn't do me much good, I usually don't sleep well anyway. And yes, finding a place with decent parking isn't easy either, I'm towing with a cap on the truck so even with a backup camera getting out of a tricky spot can be ... well, tricky.

I've got to go out this weekend and measure all the equipment and see if I can look up the weights on the implements to get a shipping quote. I'm guessing from the short lead time for hotshot I can wait till a month before my date to get a quote.