Hello , I'm new to the forums . I've been searching on a step by step method with pictures preferably if possible to secure a mini excavator to a trailer . How do you folks secure your mini excavator to your trailers ?safely and legally. I would be hauling the equipment in California : Any tips, tricks , or pictures would be much appreciated . Thank you for your time and input
load the machine on the trailer facing foreword with the blade in front of you, lower the bucket and boom so its curled down and the bucket/ end of the stick is on the trailer where you can throw a 2" strap over it and it won't loosen. use a chain and screw binder over the blade under the blades hydraulic cylinder back over the blade and down to the tie down. and there should be a hole you can put a clevis in the back of the excavator below the slew gear or theres a loop to put a chain thru, use that to chain and binder down the back of the machine. make sure the weights over the axles or slightly foreword and it should tow nicely. if the trailers smaller then do the same thing but turn the boom around so its facing the back of the trailer so it fits.
Secure each corner of the machine with a separate binder and chains(total of 4), and use a strap or chain for the bucket/boom movement. Position your machine on the trailer so your tow vehicle isn't squatting to much, it will give for a bad ride and bring attention to DOT real quick. Just a little tongue weight and squat would be a good starting point and go from there. Only 2chains/binders(1 front,1 rear) is not DOT approved and is asking for some tickets... Good luck.
If it's a mini and is under 10,000lbs then it only requires 2 tie downs as a minimum for the machine and 1 tie down for the boom. Machines under 10,00lbs are considered general cargo and not heavy equipment, I've Been pulled over and driven through checks with a mini tied down that way and as long as you use 3/8 good chains And the boom doesn't hang over the end they don't bother you. This is a decent link for you to read to help find any answers you might have about load securement. http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/cargo/cargosecurement-16-04.pdf
I use 10k rated straps. Now before anyone says "not straps, you'll kill a bus load of nuns". I spent 12 years in the military transporting munitions. We primarily used straps. YES on a big machine you need chains, it a 10k mini- ex 4 straps is what I use. I put the bucket against the blade so it won't move. I suppose tied down would be better, can't say I've seen that done before though.
If the straps add up to enough capacity, and are rigged so they won't be cut, you can tie down a D9 with them (you'd have to kick the nuns off the bus anyway, so you could use it to haul the bus load of straps).
Haha! We prepped many aircraft bound loads too, again mostly straps used. I can buy 5 or 6 good straps for the price of a 30ft chain and binder, Part of the reason I like straps.
I guess we are a bit more ranchy out here. We normally go with one chain through the tie down hook on the frame and another over the blade. Then we strap the bucket. On the mini mini we just use a strap or chain across the floor. On anything bigger, four chains and binders and a 3/8" across the bottom of the stick at the boom. P.s. there is a thread on this somewhere.. Regards, Cd
One other thing that hasn't been mentioned, the chain should go through the trailer rub rail and come back up and hook over the top of the rail so that if it comes loose, it won't fall off. Stop and retighten your tie downs after ten minutes or so. They will most likely be loose. By federal requirements (for commercial loads), front, back AND BOOM should be secured. I don't know what you have but my Kubota has tie points on each end of the blade plus a loop underneath in back (on the frame) for tie down. The earlier FMCSA reference will give you good information on required size of tie downs, etc. Four independent tie downs each with adjusters are better than shortcutting with just two or without adjusters on each line.
k45, that's the way I used to hook chains and straps, too. But, under current federal law, you get almost no credit for hooking on the rub rail. You know how it is, it worked too good, so the govt. said not to do it anymore.
: : Where are you supposed to hook them?
Trailer Manufacturer specified tie down points, or frame members.
My excavator has a pin that I drop to prevent the cab and boom from swinging, and I "X" the four chains and binders - two across the rear tracks and two across the blade. I also back it up on the trailer (boom first) to where I have my 25% - 75% loading mark for the excavator, rotate boom 180°, drop the pin, curl bucket, lay the stick flat, and chain it up. I thought about straps once but the U/V resistant certified straps I looked at cost more than cargo chain.
The rub rail was only intended to prevent snagging a stake pocket, not to be used for lashing purposes. And I wouldn't use stake pockets to secure lashings either. Unfortunately, most all of these government regulations are written in blood, and are there to protect us from ourselves.
As far as I know the "rub rail rule" out of 49 CFR was updated around 2006 allowing the rub rail to be used. Several of the flatbed truck and trailers we used at work either using the rub rail or under the lip of a c channel was the only way to hook straps or chains. I can tell you that with transporting munitions there are more than "a couple" extra rules. Example... We used straps most of the time because metal to metal contact is not allowed. Like a load of bullets in ammo cans, you'd have to put dunnage between it and the chains while straps you'd just run it over the load. We we allowed 10,000lbs per strap. (Std 2" strap).. Though I usually put at least 2 or 3. A pallet of ammo could be 5-6000lbs. Couple years ago we had a guy drop 6 mk82 bombs off his trailer. Class A mishap because they exceeded the drop distance allowed. fell onto the road and rolled down the hill. Had one strap on the 3500lb pallet of bombs. Trailer had some frost, bumpy road, 10% grade. Perhaps some states or companies choose to be more stringent, I don't know. DOT here is very small. There's just a few scale houses in AK and aren't manned full time. I've never stopped to get scaled in my dumptruck. I have farm plates on it.
I see a lot of landscapers and plumbers that just drive it on the trailer and assume the tracks will hold it for short trips.
Short trips, medium trips, long trips - they all lash down the same if you're going on a public road in traffic. Just wait until on of those good 'ol boys kills someone.