Loading & Unloading Equipment from Trailers
Loading and unloading is one of the riskiest moments for equipment operators. Machines slide off muddy ramps, tip off the side of a trailer, or roll when a ramp kicks out. Operators are crushed when they jump instead of staying in the seat.
- Equipment operators
- Truck drivers
- Rental yards
Photo: skid steer backing straight up trailer ramps on level ground with a spotter standing off to the side
Set up the trailer
- Truck and trailer on firm, level ground, in a straight line
- Truck parking brake set and wheels chocked
- Trailer rated for the machine’s weight
- Ramps set at the width of the tracks or wheels, fully seated and pinned
- Trailer deck and ramps clean and dry: no mud, ice, oil, gravel or snow
- Tilt-deck trailers: deck lock and controls checked
- Spotter in position off to the side, never behind or in front of the ramps
Loading the machine
- Seat belt on.
- Line up straight before touching the ramps. Don’t steer or turn on the ramps.
- Go slow and steady, in low gear or low speed.
- Keep the bucket or attachment low and the heavy end uphill as the maker recommends (many skid steers back up the ramps).
- Watch the balance point as the machine crests from the ramp onto the deck or a tilt deck tips. Ease over it.
- Center the machine on the trailer to balance the load and keep tongue weight right.
- Lower attachments to the deck, set the parking brake, and shut down.
If the machine starts to slide or tip, stay in the seat with your belt on. Hold on and lean away from the fall. Operators who jump are often crushed by the machine or its rollover structure. See Equipment Rollovers.
Tie it down
- Equipment weighing 10,000 pounds or more needs at least four tie-downs, each attached as close as practical to the front and rear, under federal cargo securement rules.
- Lower and secure buckets, blades and booms; lock articulated machines so they can’t pivot.
- Use chains and binders rated for the load (check the working load limit), and attach only to the machine’s tie-down points.
- Recheck tie-downs after the first few miles.
See Cargo Securement and Trailers & Towing.
Unloading
Same setup steps in reverse: level ground, chocks, clean ramps, straight line. Remove tie-downs only once the machine is running and the operator is in the seat, and bring it down the ramps slowly in the direction the maker recommends.
Standards & references
- 49 CFR 393 Subpart I: Cargo securement, including heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery (393.130)
- 29 CFR 1926.602: Material handling equipment
- See also: Skid Steers · Mini Excavators
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