Driver Careers and Training Classes – Heavy Haul School

Heavy Haul and Oversize Truck Drivers Training School

If you are looking for a career in the heavy haul industry, you will need some help.  In this school, you will want to learn how to pull a flatbed or step-deck trailer if you can, but any trailer will work.  Then you will have to get placed with a trucking company and get hours behind the wheel, with your first trailer option being a flatbed trailer.  If you can’t find a trucking company that will put you on a flatbed or step-deck trailer from the get-go, do not get discouraged, as you can eventually migrate yourself to a company that will hire you as a flatbed or step-deck driver once you have the dry box or refrigerated trailer time under your belt.  When working with flatbed or step-deck trailers, you may be required to do extra duties that may include:

• Chaining down shipments, so they don’t come off the trailer while in transit.
• Tarping and strapping down tarps for the shipment, so they are not exposed to the elements.
• Possibly waiting longer on backhauls depending on what geographic location you are sent to.
• Dealing with longer loading times while on the job.

This stuff is all part of the game while working your way up the ladder.  It’s very physical, as tarps weigh hundreds of pounds and require you to climb over your shipment.  Chains are heavy too, which will have to be used most of the time on shipments you are moving and will be used even more in heavy haul transport.  So you want to make sure you are a physically fit person and capable of scaling a load with your body and securing it.

The Biggest in Heavy Hauling

Richard L. Krabbendam is a world-class leader and “heavy lift specialist” focusing primarily on super heavy transport with a specialized interest in Hydraulic Platform trailers. He conducts classes and seminars globally. He is currently teaching “Best Practices in Handling Heavy Lifts Safely.” You can view his schedule, watch videos, and obtain more information by visiting HeavyLiftSpecialists.com.

A Career in Heavy Haul and Oversize Moving Can Go in Many Directions

We truly wish that we could say that we are your source for heavy haul truck driver training school, but we haven’t ever heard of one. Heavy haul and oversize trucking is learned one step at a time. You simply have to spend time behind the wheel of a semi-tractor with a trailer to get used to the turn radius of pulling a trailer that long first.  Once you do that, you will be ready to pull something like a wide load.  A 10′ wide load would be a good size, and work your way up a little wider as you go.  Possibly look for a local job pulling mobile homes to start you off.  Then working with a heavy haul load of around 80,000 lbs would be good, like moving heavy equipment for a local equipment company.  These are the kinds of jobs that you need to get under your belt to qualify for a serious job in the heavy haul trucking industry.  Think about some of the heavy generator moves or pictures you’ve seen.  It takes many wheels and axles to support something that is even just 150,000 pounds, which means the trailer is extended.  This means your turn radius will differ from a regular 48′ dry box, refrigerated trailer, or even a flat or a step.  So if you are in a hurry to get behind the wheel of a heavy haul or oversize load, you need to pipe down because it will take some time.  Time on the job, behind the wheel, and on the road.  Also, consider the regulations, bridge formula, frost laws, pilot cars, and travel times.  There is a lot to it.

This information shouldn’t discourage you from becoming a driver in this industry.  It’s merely telling you the way it is. Check with the standard truck driving schools and ask them if they have a special division for drivers that want oversize, overweight, wide load, or heavy haul truck driver training. Ask them if they have an equipment hauling division in their school. Ask them what sort of programs they have that might help you get on the right track for a career in heavy haul and oversized load trucking.

Best wishes to you on your career path to becoming an OD or HH truck driver – if you like to drive and want a real challenge, there’s a good chance this is for you.

Interested in Becoming a Pilot Car Driver?

Pilot car and escort vehicle drivers are always needed, and in many geographic locations, our industry has shortages. This is an excellent time to get into this aspect of our industry. We sell a beginners’ guide that will teach you everything you need to know to start a company and eventually up and running. To learn more about this start-up guide, visit start your own pilot car company.