Choosing the right trailer for the load

Matching the trailer to the load is the single biggest decision in a heavy haulage move. The wrong trailer turns a straightforward job into a permitted oversize movement, or leaves a machine that won't fit the deck. Kawana Heavy Haulage operates from Kawana Waters with a mix of tilt-trays, low loaders and extendable decks, and we specify the right one from the quote details before any truck rolls.

Tilt-tray

A tilt-tray tilts the whole tray to ground level so a machine drives or winches on under its own power. It is fast, self-contained and ideal for smaller machines — mini excavators, skid steers and small loaders up to roughly 8–10 tonnes. Because the load sits on the tray rather than a low-slung deck, transport height is higher, so tall machines are a poor fit. Tilt-trays need firm, level ground to load and unload, which rules them out for soft or sloping sites. Most tilt-tray moves run within general mass and dimension limits and need no permit.

Low loader

A low loader sits close to the ground with fixed or hydraulic ramps, keeping transport height down for taller and heavier machines. It is the workhorse for mid-to-large excavators, dozers, graders and tracked gear from about 10 tonnes up. The low deck angle makes loading low-clearance machines safer, and the load sits within the tray width for most standard machines. Low loaders handle softer sites better than a tilt-tray because the loading ramps bridge to the ground. Loads that exceed width or height limits still need a permit and the right escort configuration.

Extendable low loader

An extendable low loader stretches to spread a long or over-dimensional load over more axles, reducing the load on any one axle group and keeping the movement within mass limits. It is the choice for long freight — crane booms, bridge beams, tanks and lengthy plant — where a fixed-deck trailer would concentrate too much mass. Extendables frequently cross into oversize territory, so the route is surveyed and the permit lodged before booking.

Hydraulic deck and removable gooseneck

Hydraulic decks and removable gooseneck (RGN) trailers drop the load angle further for low-clearance and heavy tracked gear, letting the machine load at the lowest possible height. They are used for the heaviest excavators and dozers where transport height and load angle are the constraint. RGN trailers separate the front gooseneck from the deck so the machine drives on at ground level — the gentlest loading method for valuable or low-slung equipment.

How the choice is made

The decision rests on four things: machine weight, loaded transport height, track or tyre width, and the ground at both ends of the move. Around the 8–10 tonne crossover a tilt-tray gives way to a low loader; tall or wide machines push toward a low-slung or extendable deck; soft or sloping sites rule out a tilt-tray. Every move is quoted to spec and subject to assessment — tell us the machine, the dimensions and the two ends of the move, and we'll specify the trailer and confirm whether a permit and pilots are required.