Forklifts are very heavy, very compact and have very high weight distribution, very low ground clearance, and unique balancing mechanics. This specialized equipment is dangerous to move with standard towing equipment or any non-trained operator, and could damage the equipment, the towing vehicle or the job site.
Southern Towing offers 24/7 forklift transport and heavy machinery hauling services by qualified, professional team. Our highly trained fleet and certified heavy-haul specialists are available around the clock, 365 days a year, including nights, weekends and holidays, to transport your material handling equipment with a single moment's notice. Whatever it involves, from a standard warehouse electric forklift to a heavy-duty diesel outdoor forklift, or a specialized telehandler, we have the exact machinery, rigging gear and expertise necessary to make the transport a damage-free, flawless operation.
The Technical Challenges of Forklift Transport
- Immense and Concentrated Weight: Forklifts have heavy solid-steel counterweights at the back to balance the hefty loads they carry at the front. A small warehouse forklift can easily weigh between 5000 to 15,000 pounds, much more than a regular pickup truck or SUV. Specialized transport decks are required for such a high point loading, which will not buckle.
- Smooth, Flat, Concrete Floors: Most warehouse forklifts have a few inches of clearance under the chassis and are used on smooth, flat concrete floors. When a transport company tries to drive or winch a forklift up a steep loading ramp, the undercarriage will hit the ramp with tremendous impact and cause damage to the hydraulic lines, steering linkage or battery compartment.
- Smooth, Solid Rubber Tires and Metal Ramps: Many forklifts used indoors use smooth, solid rubber or cushion rubber tires and metal ramps. These tires provide almost no grip on wet or metal on an incline. The wheels may spin out or the forklift may slide off the side of the metal trailer ramp when loaded when attempting to move it up the ramp.
- Top-Heavy Mast Structures: The vertical lifting mast structure produces a high centre of gravity particularly for transport. If not tied down properly, sharp turns, sudden braking or load changes during travel can result in the forklift toppling over on the loading platform.
Southern Towing removes these structural hazards altogether. We have a team of expert operators who have completed in-depth and rigorous training specifically tailored to the unique load calculation, center of gravity considerations and securing protocols of industrial material handling machinery.
Our Specialized Forklift Recovery Fleet
We have upgraded our commercial fleet to a modern and heavy duty fleet with cutting edge machinery that is particularly designed to load, secure and transport heavy industrial machinery with safety. To avoid all the problems associated with low ground clearance, our fleet comprises specialized rollback flatbeds with very low loading angles. The entire bed moves backward and hydraulically tilts to give a very slight incline of the bed to the ground which is almost horizontal. This enables low-profile electric warehouse forklifts to easily roll onto the deck without scraping or bottoming out.
If your forklift is stuck on the ground because the battery has failed, the electric motor has broken down or the hydraulic line has ruptured, you will not be able to easily put it on a transport truck. The recovery vehicles are equipped with heavy duty industrial hydraulic winches with high tensile steel cables. Safely and smoothly pulling dead forklifts up the low angle ramp with absolute control and precision is achieved using certified rigging blocks and specialized axle straps.
The towing chains and binders that are suitable for consumer vehicles are a complete failure with forklifts, which are very heavy and dense. The anchors used on our forklifts by our operators are heavy duty, high strength Grade 70 transport chains and commercial ratchet binders to secure the forklift to the truck bed. Our chassis is fastened to reinforced steel D-rings on the trailer frame with a strict four point tie down system, as well as a heavy counterbalance attached to reinforced steel D-rings on the trailer frame to assure that there is no movement during transit.
Vehicles We Deal With
- Various Types of Cushion Tires: Soft handling for all manner of sensitive electric motors, lithium-ion battery bays, and smooth cushion tires.
- Heavy Duty Transport: Internal Combustion (IC) Forklifts; for outdoor and yard forklifts with diesel, gas and LPG power options. Narrow aisle warehouse machines, such as Reach Trucks and Order Pickers, are equipped with tall, specialized mast designs.
- Telehandlers & Rough Terrain Forklifts: Strong heavy hauling capability for construction forklifts with long reaches and large pneumatic tractor tires.
- Pallet Jacks & Stacker Trucks: Efficiently transport smaller units of support equipment between commercial facilities.
Our Process
- Technical Specification Gathering: Our dispatchers will verify the make and model of the forklift, its estimated weight, its tire type (cushion vs. pneumatic) and operational status of the forklift. This way we ensure that we send the right configuration of trucks and the proper size of chains and binders.
- Job Site Hazard Assessment: Our driver will do a quick hazard check on your loading site when you arrive at your warehouse, shipyard or construction site for overhead power lines, soft ground or places where the loading process could be hampered.
- Precision Securing Process: The forklift's positioning is carefully done over the truck's rear axles to evenly secure the heavy load. The parking brake is set and tight, and before we lock our high-quality steel chains to structural tie-down points, we make sure to have extra chains stowed away to ensure safety.
- Height and Clearance Verification: Before leaving, the driver physically checks the final total height of the loaded machine to ensure it does not hit low bridges, overpasses and bay doors of commercial facilities.
Whether it's day or night, a complex industrial site or heavier machinery, Southern Towing can prove to be a dependable solution for transporting your equipment without causing any damage.
More Southern Towing Services in Melbourne
For other heavy loads, our shipping container towing service uses the same tilt-bed thinking to move containers on and off site. If it's a standard vehicle that needs help, see our 24/7 car towing service or the wider emergency towing and roadside care page. You can also explore all towing services we offer, or contact our dispatch team to arrange a job.