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Plan Complex Heavy Haul Moves With Fewer Surprises
Q What should shippers look for when evaluating a heavy haul transportation provider? A One important indicator is whether a provider can walk you through a comparable move in real detail, not just tell you it went well. They should be able to explain how they identified site constraints, permitting requirements, and routing challenges during planning and what they would do dierently if something changed mid-shipment. Equipment is another area to discuss. Heavy haul freight, like wind turbine blades, transformers, cranes, and generators, often requires specialized configurations, including removable gooseneck trailers, lowboys, multi- axle setups, perimeter trailers, and Schnabel trailers. A provider with a defined planning process asks about center of gravity and lift points before recommending equipment because that decision aects routing, permitting, and escort needs downstream. If they skip that conversation, it may indicate they’re defaulting to what they have available rather than matching equipment to your freight. Q How should shippers evaluate permitting, routing, and communication once a project is underway? A Permitting and routing work best as one integrated process, not two separate handos. A provider with a defined intake process tells you upfront what they need from you to start planning, rather than making you guess. Given how much oversize and overweight freight moves each year, that intake discipline can help reduce the chance of a
project stalling later over something that should have been caught early. Once freight is moving, communication is what shippers remember most, for better or worse. Ask who your single point of contact is, who backs them up, and who is authorized to approve a reroute, an equipment change, or a cost adjustment, so the shipment does not lose momentum while everyone awaits a decision. Q What should shippers ask about safety and compliance? A Safety should shape how a provider operates day-to-day, not just how they talk about themselves. I’d ask how safety shows up in practice, including training cadence, equipment inspection routines, and hours-of- service monitoring. I’d ask whether that rigor is applied across the network, including any third- party capacity. Regulated freight raises the bar further. Ask whether the provider holds the credentials that matter for your freight, such as a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Hazardous Materials Safety Permit, hazmat- endorsed operators, Arms, Ammunition & Explosives (AA&E) or Transportation Protective Services capabilities if your shipment requires them, and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) validation for cross-border moves into Mexico. These credentials aren’t nice-to-haves. They can help distinguish a provider equipped to handle regulated freight from one who’s learning as they go. The questions shippers ask are usually simple. The specificity of the answers can reveal whether a provider is ready for the move you actually need completed .
Rob Simon Vice President, Heavy Specialized Services Landstar landstar.com
August 2026 • Inbound Logistics 23
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