Since there are no built-in wheels, steering or axles, loading and unloading a container requires absolute precision, special hydraulic tilt-beds, and high capacity winches. If the inexperienced towing company mishandles the container, the container may be structurally warped, the valuable contents that are sealed inside may be damaged or the ground surface in your drop-off location may be destroyed.
Southern Towing is a dedicated shipping container towing company with highly professional staff that offers 24/7 services for shipping container towing and heavy transport. Our high capacity, dedicated, heavy-duty vessels and certified operators are available 24/7/365 to transport your containers when you need them. From shifting the power on-site because of zoning changes to moving multiple units throughout the region, we have the power, precision and reliability needed to get the job done.
Why Specialized Container Towing Is Necessary
Moving a structure that is in essence a giant rigid steel box is a mechanical and physical challenge. The standard flatbed tow trucks just can't handle the special dimensions and physical characteristics of intermodal containers.
- Massive Dead Weight: The empty 20' shipping container weighs around 5,000 pounds; the empty 40' shipping container weighs around 8,000 pounds. The load could be tens of thousands of pounds when fully loaded with cargo, equipment, or construction materials and heavy-duty class 8 transport vehicles are required to move them legally and safely.
- Because container designs are intended to sit flat on the ground or on ship decks, they will need to be physically lifted or dragged onto a transport bed. This will scratch, dent, or twist the container's framework if not accomplished using specialised low-friction slide plates and exact winch rigging.
- If a container rests on tacky asphalt, concrete or soft mud, the friction between the container and the ground is severe. To pull, they need commercial quality hydraulic winching power and an operator who has an understanding of load angles to prevent snapping cables or tip over the transport vehicle.
Arriving at the destination is not enough when it comes to dropping off a container; it must drop off at the right place. The transport vehicle needs to be able to back into confined areas, drive across soft job-site surfaces and unload the container slowly to avoid violent drop, which may result in damage to the inside of the container. Southern Towing is eliminating these headaches. Our strong transport operators all hold certificates of commercial rigging, heavy-load balancing, and are experts in operating different types of trailers, which means your container will be handled professionally and flawlessly.
Our Hydraulic Tilt-Bed Fleet
We don't believe in using the wrong tool for a heavy job, or in using a make-shift solution. Our commercial vehicles are equipped with specialized and advanced vehicles that are specially designed for transporting heavy shipping containers. A true king of the container towing world is the hydraulic tilt-bed or Landoll. There is no need for independent cranes or forklift trucks to lift the container upright; instead, the entire deck of our specially designed trailer is hydraulically retracted and lowered at a very shallow angle to the ground. This enables the container to be winched gently up the ramp, without tilting the load too much.
Our container transport trucks have industrial-strength dual winches with high tensile steel cables. We use special twist-lock corner casting hooks which secure right into the container's factory-made corner castings. This is to ensure that the pulling force is conveyed to the reinforced corners of the structure of the container, which prevents the side wall from bowing or warping. The shipping container is fully loaded onto our tilt-bed trailer, and then must be secured for highway travel using heavy duty Grade 70 transport chains and commercial ratchet binders. On long-distance trips our trailers are equipped with a locking system consisting of integrated twist-lock pins to join the container to our trailer frame as an undividable block.
Size Varying Containers We Deal With
- Standard 20-Foot Containers: The most popular size for job-site storage, commercial inventory and residential moves.
- Standard 40' Containers: Large intermodal containers that need long tilt-bed trailers and accurate turning room.
- High-Cube Containers: These units are only a few inches taller than standard cube containers but take up an extra foot of clearance, and our drivers need to route around low bridges and under structures specially designed for this type of container.
- Specialized Units: Mobile offices, generator rooms or custom container homes that need incredibly gentle handling to avoid damage to the structural changes, wiring and plumbing within the container.
Our Container Transport Process
- Site and Weight Verification: Dispatchers will verify the size of your container (20ft or 40ft), estimated container total weight, direction of container doors, and surface condition at both pickup and drop off sites (concrete, gravel, dirt, or mud).
- Transport Operator Meticulously Sets Up on Site: When you arrive at your site, our heavy transport operator will get the tilt-bed trailer just aligned with the nose of the container. Specialised ground rollers or slick pads are placed under the front end of the container to avoid abrasive wear on your driveway or job-site surface.
- Smooth Hydraulic Loading: Operator locks our rigging hooks into the bottom corner castings and then operates the large capacity winches. The winches pull it, and the trailer skids it into the bottom of the trailer and moves it easily on to the horizontal bed.
- Precision Placement at the Drop-off: The driver backs into the correct spot, tilts the bed gently upwards and then slowly drives forward while the winch slowly releases the container to lay flat in the exact position desired.
Whether early in the morning, late at night or working with a heavy load, or under the most stringent of job site conditions, Southern Towing makes container transportation easy and dependable.
More Southern Towing Services in Melbourne
Our forklift transport service uses the same low-angle, winch-driven approach for warehouse equipment. If a standard vehicle needs help getting to site, our 24/7 car towing service and emergency towing and roadside care pages cover breakdowns across Melbourne. You can browse our towing services or get in touch with our team to arrange a container move.