It’s always a tough decision when you need to transport land-heavy machinery over any distance. Do you take it apart and put it in the back of your pickup truck? Or do you pay someone else to tow it for you? In this blog post we’ll talk about five tips for towing a bulldozer so that transporting is easier on both the driver and the machine, so can a bulldozer be towed?
You may find you have a serious need to tow a bulldozer. Maybe you’re moving it or transporting it to another job site, and don’t want to block traffic on your route.
It could be that you are rescuing one from an emergency situation, such as after a natural disaster when roads might not be available for travel by car. Whatever the reason is behind needing a towed bulldozer, there are steps involved in doing so properly.
Can You Tow a Bulldozer?
Bulldozers are heavy! It is possible to tow a bulldozer, but it takes special equipment and skills to know how to do it the right way.
Many people who own large pieces of land need to transport their heavy machinery at some point in time during the year. But how do you tow a bulldozer?
To move a bulldozer you need to attach a tow bar or chain, plus the appropriate brakes and safety chains. You need to know how much weight your trailer can carry safely before you start loading heavy equipment on it.
Towing a bulldozer has its own issues though. The ground clearance of the bulldozer is too low for many trailer hitches. This means you need to install a hitch extension and then make sure there’s enough weight capacity in your trailer before loading up anything else heavy.
What Methods Can Be Used to Transport a Bulldozer?
How do you transport a bulldozer? There are a few methods that can be used to transport this large piece of equipment to get it from one spot to the other when you need to travel longer distances.
- You may also want to use a flatbed truck or trailer instead of an ATV. This would make the operation much easier though it will take longer since flatbed trucks typically travel slower than ATVs do when being towed behind them.
- If you are unable to transport the bulldozer via ATV or truck, you can use a tractor with an attached trailer. This will require two people and some additional planning for safety procedures such as how one person may need to safely guide traffic while the other tows in order to avoid accidents.
- Lastly, if none of these options work for you then consider renting out a heavy equipment hauling service.
Each of these options comes with issues so it is important to weigh your options and figure out what will work best for you.
How Much Does it Cost to Move a Bulldozer?
The costs to move a bulldozer can vary depending on the size and location of your bulldozer. Some companies may charge by the hour, while others might charge a flat rate for certain distances, so how much does it cost to transport a bulldozer?
The average cost to tow a dozer is around $129 per mile (plus an hourly fee). This includes fuel costs, driver’s fees, vehicle wear-and-tear, tolls and other miscellaneous charges like bridge or tunnel crossings. The hourly fee will vary from company to company.
As you can see it isn’t cheap to move a bulldozer but sometimes to complete the necessary work to complete jobs will require this move to occur, the most common reasons to move a bulldozer are:
- To relocate the machine due to expansion or moving production lines.
- To replace an old or inoperative equipment with newer technology.
- In some cases, “extreme” circumstances may necessitate emergency relocation of heavy machinery for safety purposes such as flood damage from storms and earthquakes that could compromise its stability.
In these instances it is crucial to transport your machines quickly and efficiently to avoid downtime and other problems caused by lack of mobility.
How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Bulldozer?
Should you need to move a very long distance you can get a quote to have it shipped, but you might want to consider the weight of your bulldozer and what kind of terrain you’ll be traveling in.
Some movers will not ship earth moving equipment because they are just too heavy for standard shipping methods, for those that do the costs can be prohibitive.
According to Fide Freight, the costs vary from $2.00 to $2.25 per mile depending on distance and load size. For example, if you were going 400 miles away then it would cost around $800-$90 to have your bulldozer shipped, plus any other fees.
If you are only transporting a short distance then it might be more cost effective and time efficient to rent a trailer for the move. You can find trailers that range from $150 -$500 per day or up to month depending on size needed. This is typically significantly cheaper than shipping because they don’t charge by mileage like movers do.
It’s important when renting a trailer that you know what kind of terrain you’ll be driving over as some trucks may not hold up with all types of road conditions: gravel roads, dirt roads, etc., so make sure before committing to anything!
The Final Dig: can a bulldozer be towed
A bulldozer can be towed with a tow truck, or it can also be pulled by another large vehicle. It all depends on the size and weight of your bulldozer.
If you think that towing is going to work best for you, take note that there are two types of tow trucks available, standard and heavy-duty. The type will depend on how much power your engine produces as well as the weight capacity of each truck (7 tons).
There are some other considerations when deciding whether one method would work better than another so we recommend talking with an expert in these matters before making any decisions.
I hope this blog post has been helpful! Do you have any questions about what kind? Let me know below!
