A Distributor's Guide to Hiring Heavy Equipment Movers

A Distributor’s Guide to Hiring Heavy Equipment Movers

Machinery and equipment is a $192 billion industry, which means there’s a lot of equipment getting manufactured, sold, and moved.

If you’re moving equipment from one location to another or moving your entire facility altogether, you’re going to need heavy equipment movers to get the job done. But how to find the right one? A lot goes into finding the right company to handle your equipment. While cost is a factor, it’s not the most important one in this situation.

Here are some of the most important things to look for when hiring a heavy equipment mover so your job gets done the right way.

Check Your Inventory

Before you get started, the first thing you need to do is check your inventory. This will help you in two ways.

First, while you’re going through the process of hiring heavy equipment movers, you’ll be able to give the company an actual inventory of what they’re going to transport. This gives you a better chance of getting a realistic estimate.

Secondly, this helps during the handling and moving (and possible storage) process.

While taking the actual inventory, make note of any scratches, dents, or other damage. Take photos of it all. If there’s a discrepancy with the mover over damaged equipment, you’ll know what’s new and what was already damaged.

Plan Ahead

Moving heavy equipment takes a lot of planning, so make sure you have it all outlined ahead of time. Jot down your inventory, your timeframe, and your expectations.

Then, review the plan with your employees so everyone is on the same page in the process. This reduces the amount of confusion and downtime during the move. It also helps to have a written game plan when you’re getting quotes.

What to Look for When Hiring Heavy Equipment Movers

After the pre-moving steps are complete, it’s time to find a heavy equipment mover. Hiring machine movers is a lot like hiring movers for your personal items but on a grander scale.

Check Reviews and References

Ask others in your industry who they’ve used when moving machinery in the past. What did they like and dislike about the movers?

Read customer reviews to learn what other companies’ experiences were. Try to ignore any overly aggressive or negative comments. Stick to the ones that offer useful feedback.

You Want Experience

You need a company who can face any challenge and overcome it. That comes with experience and years of hard work.

Sometimes, a high-ranking employee leaves one company and starts their own. In this case, find out how long they’ve been in the industry and if they have any references.

What Services Do They Offer?

You may only need to move machinery or you could need someone to store your equipment for a period of time. Find out if the company has commercial storage or access to it.

Do they load and unload the equipment? Will they help pull permits? Find a company who offers exactly what you need.

You’ll also want to make sure they have all the tools to get the job done. If not, they’ll be renting it and passing those costs on to you.

Ask About Insurance

The final factor to consider is how much insurance coverage they have. They should have enough to cover the full cost of replacing all your heavy equipment. If something goes wrong and you lose equipment, you want to ensure they’ll cover the cost of replacing it.

You also want a company in compliance with OSHA’s safety standards and any other regulatory guidelines.

Move Your Machine the Right Way

Hiring heavy equipment movers is a long process, but if you do your due diligence, you’ll have a smoother transport. You want to be sure the machine movers you hire are using the best equipment to get your job done.

For quality and dependability, choose Hevi-Haul products. Learn how our products move the world in our video gallery or check out our line of machinery skates and custom skates.

A Distributor's Guide to Hiring Heavy Equipment Movers