# Hauling a Telehandler



## 1985gt

I wouldnt but a telehandler on a pickup, We have a f450 and I wouldnt tow ours with it. maybe a mini one. Ours is 25,000lbs got a local guy to move it $90 in town 3.00 a loaded mile out side of town. We have roaded ours close to 30 miles before. that was along trip but it was on gravel roads so no real trafic. it also over heated twice on the way there. Hard as hell on tires roading it much though.


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## Caos1438

Im new to this forum, but I just came across this thread. I haul 22k-32k telehandlers almost daily in my area. My setup is a 2007 gmc4500 with a 32' pj gooseneck. It has 2 16k tandem axles. Ive never had one problem with the dot and I normally go close to 200 mile radius. As long as you can keep it in your axle and tire rating you will be legal. With a 32k telehandler on the trailer it is at its max but the truck still stays around 1500-2000 under its weight rating. I carry a 27 ton license on the truck. I havent had a problem with any stoping power either. Ill get a few pictures to put up on here.


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## RMFramer

RM Framer said:


> Yes its the new body style. and you are right its some serious torture!



he has since upgraded to an 4x4 F350 single wheel and a 60 foot JLG man lift.


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## Joasis

My little semi tractor and tilt equipment trailer is tagged for 54k also. Not counting the expenses (fuel, maintenance) and the investment in the truck, this little move to compliance for DOT will cost me an extra $1600 a year, For no reason they can prove.


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## brickhook

I pay $80 one way to have my lift moved with in an hour. They will come out load it, deliver it, and unload it for that price. I can have it moved every week cheaper then I could buy a road tractor, maintain it, and keep insurance on it.

I have a F350 4door 4wd and a chevrolet 3500HD. And under NO circumstances would I even consider to pull a 20,000 lb machine behind either one of them! Sure, they 'might' pull it, but what would a person do if someone pulled out in front of him? People do it I guess, but it sure is scary.


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## brickhook

This is how I do it for $80...........


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## overanalyze

brickhook said:


> This is how I do it for $80...........


That's a deal. We have a local commercial contractor move ours for around $200 round trip within a 15 mile range.


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## brickhook

Yeah, $160 round trip is probably 1990 prices. I would pay him what ever he charged. Anything he charged is still better than getting killed trying move it with a pick-up.


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## Joasis

brickhook said:


> I pay $80 one way to have my lift moved with in an hour. They will come out load it, deliver it, and unload it for that price. I can have it moved every week cheaper then I could buy a road tractor, maintain it, and keep insurance on it.
> 
> I have a F350 4door 4wd and a chevrolet 3500HD. And under NO circumstances would I even consider to pull a 20,000 lb machine behind either one of them! Sure, they 'might' pull it, but what would a person do if someone pulled out in front of him? People do it I guess, but it sure is scary.



With good brakes, it isn't a big deal. Overloads on the truck, and the power of the Duramax, no problem. 

When I was first exposed to big trucks, they had half the horsepower of our modern diesels...and the brakes were only so so. Now granted, the #24,840 pound Lull and the Belshe trailer take some distance to stop, but guess what? If you need to stop quickly, a semi won't do it any faster. And probably, from a pure position on mass and physics, whoever you hit will fair better then under the steel bumper on my heavy hauler. 

The only reason, and I mean only reason I bought the heavy hauler was to comply with DOT and their never ending quest to generate funding from new and additional sources and laws that really do not affect safety. Sad thing is, most of them know and will admit that nothing is wrong with anything that we do, as long as you pay the ticket. It is all about the money.


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## Joasis

We move our lift just about every week. $4000 in fees would be no big deal, except many times we move more then 100 miles, and last week, moved 225. Plus, my truck is sitting with the lift, and when we are ready to go, it goes. The chains and tie downs are all in place, and the trailer works for our backhoe and Bobcat as well. 

I would not encourage anyone who isn't comfortable with moving anything heavy to try it, and do notice, my one ton is a true one ton, heavy suspension and brakes, and isn't a pick-up truck. But because it is a one ton, it is a target of the DOT, and pick-ups never get a second look, unless they have a backhoe on board.


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## brickhook

Joasis, I'm certainly not meaning to be disagreeing with you. You make some very good points. I guess one of the differences between you and I, I have alot of steep mountains around here. And I couldn't move the machine on my own for 80 bucks.But I understand what you're saying. :thumbsup:


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## Joasis

Big mountains could make a difference, but DOT is the difference. I grew up hauling big stuff, and like anything, the more you do, the less it bothers you. I have never been "caught", so I opted, with the new change as of the 1st of the year, to play by their rules. 

Nothing over 10k moves now in a commercial manner that they cannot inspect, punish, fine, impound, and otherwise make our lives miserable. And it ain't about safety...it is about revenue.


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## Randy Bush

One of my manlifts is 15k . haul it on a triple axle trailer with my F-350 dually. Have new axles and brakes on the trailer and it will lock up the wheels if you don't set it right . so plenty of stopping power. Hauling heavy loads in not bad once you are use to it Just have to use common sense .


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## Jim Wilson

*It can be done.*

I put 235/17.5/17.5 128psi 6005lbs rated tires and RV airbags on my 3/4 ton along with 3/4-16 lugs. Trailer has carlisle electric over hydraulic brakes, 12K Dana axles w/standard dual 235/85/16 3000lbs tires. Still working on trailer. I'll post more when I have video.


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## muskoka guy

This thread is pretty old, but I guess still relevant. Our telehandler weighs 15 tons and no pick up is moving that thing. We have a one ton dodge that we are getting a goose neck trailer for. We intend to move our 5.5 ton excavator, and our 8 ton dozer, and 7.5 ton backhoe. The telehandler we pay a low boy to move if it is too far to road it. We will road it if it can be driven in a hour or so. Stop half way and take a break and let everything cool down.


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## Jim Wilson

muskoka guy said:


> This thread is pretty old, but I guess still relevant. Our telehandler weighs 15 tons and no pick up is moving that thing. We have a one ton dodge that we are getting a goose neck trailer for. We intend to move our 5.5 ton excavator, and our 8 ton dozer, and 7.5 ton backhoe. The telehandler we pay a low boy to move if it is too far to road it. We will road it if it can be driven in a hour or so. Stop half way and take a break and let everything cool down.


I agree 100%, but my 94 644 is only about 23K ready to work with loaded tires. Around 34K GCVW and that is as high as I would want to go. I don't know where that line is, but I wouldn't feel safe over 36K. With a F550 I might consider 45K, but if my machine were 30K, I'd be right at or over 45K on an F550, so for me there is no way I'd tow a 30K machine with any less than a F600/F700 or equivalent medium duty truck. I like at least 33% of the GCVW on the trucks tires.


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## Morning Wood

muskoka guy said:


> This thread is pretty old, but I guess still relevant. Our telehandler weighs 15 tons and no pick up is moving that thing. We have a one ton dodge that we are getting a goose neck trailer for. We intend to move our 5.5 ton excavator, and our 8 ton dozer, and 7.5 ton backhoe. The telehandler we pay a low boy to move if it is too far to road it. We will road it if it can be driven in a hour or so. Stop half way and take a break and let everything cool down.


 so you're looking at a tandem dual with 12k axles?


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## Joasis

I bought a late model tractor because we now have 3 lifts and more miles to cover. Anyone want the IH truck in my pics above, $2500 and drive it home. 

Now...it doesn't have cruise control, or A/C, or power steering.....or a radio......or an air ride seat, but other then that, it is a pussy cat.


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## WarnerConstInc.

No radio? That's roughing it.


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## Joasis

And it is governed at 57 mph.


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## muskoka guy

Morning Wood said:


> so you're looking at a tandem dual with 12k axles?


Yes, we pretty much are looking at about 24000 lbs with the dozer and the float. The truck is rated to pull 28000 on a gooseneck. Its only rated for under 20 on the hitch. We mostly will be moving the excavator with it. The dozer we don't use as much, but want to be able to move it for short runs if we have to. The telehandler we will have to pay to move until we get a bit bigger on the excavator side of business and can afford to invest in a dump truck and bigger float. Most of our moves with the telehandler are short moves. I drove it today about 15 miles to our next job. The one after this is about 50 miles so it will be getting floated for that move.


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## Joasis

Here is the "new" hauler, a '98 IH 8100, M11 Cummins, 9 speed, cruise, air, air ride seat (not cab though), and about 390k on the clock. Nice upgrade, I paid $6500 for her.


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## Donohue Const

I have the same truck as your old international to haul me lift. 
How come with your new one you stuck with a single axle?
I swear I get stuck in wet grass with my single axle.
New one have a locking rear end?


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## Joasis

Heavy use tax kicks in at 56,000#. No point in running an extra set of tires and the extra weight of another axle. I know it sucks sometimes in mud or on a wet surface, but I live with it. Tandems don't do much better overall unless they have differential locking.


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## Morning Wood

56k is your GCWR of truck and trailer right?


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## Joasis

Yes, truck and trailer. Actually tagged for 54k. The "56" was a mistake on the sign I need to correct. When you tag 56,000# then you pay heavy use taxes....makes the plate about double here in Oklahoma, and for me, no reason. My heaviest telehandler weighs in at 25k, and the truck and trailer weigh 20k. I have never weighed more then 46K.


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