By Jay Mays, Managing Partner
A skid steer can still be working at one property when the next crew is ready for it somewhere else. Moving it between construction jobsites or farms means coordinating two schedules: when the machine can leave and when the destination can actually receive it.
Before booking skid steer transport, establish a realistic handoff window. A requested pickup date is only useful when the equipment, site access and people needed for the move are ready together.
Separate the last workday from the pickup window
“We finish Friday” does not necessarily mean the loader is available Friday morning. The machine may still be needed for grading, cleanup, feeding or material handling. Ask the person supervising its use to identify when it can be taken out of service.
Give your transport coordinator an earliest release time and the site’s actual collection hours. Include time for the owner or operator to prepare the machine, gather its attachments and make it accessible. If the work runs late, communicate that change before the carrier heads toward the property.
Confirm where the truck can meet the machine
The place where a skid steer works may be different from the place where a transport truck can load it. A loader operating behind a building, inside a fenced construction area or across a field is not necessarily accessible to the assigned truck and trailer.
Share photos of the entrance and proposed loading area. Identify gates, overhead obstructions, tight turns and ground conditions. Ask the carrier to review access before treating an address or map pin as an approved loading point. Any movement to a different meeting area should be arranged with the property owner and appropriate personnel.
At a farm, identify the entrance for equipment deliveries rather than assuming the residential driveway is suitable. On a construction project, provide the delivery gate and site contact rather than only the general street address.
Decide what leaves with the loader
A bucket used on the current project may need to travel with the machine, while forks or another attachment could be waiting elsewhere on the property. Resolve that before collection. List which items are going, where they are staged and who will make them available.
Detached equipment still needs an agreed handling plan at both ends. Our attachment transport guide explains the dimensions, weight and inventory details to provide. Do not add components to the shipment without having the transport arrangement reviewed.
Give the next site a receiving window
The next crew’s planned start time and the carrier’s estimated arrival are separate commitments. Tell the coordinator when the machine is needed, then confirm what pickup and delivery arrangements are available before scheduling work around its arrival.
Name a receiving contact who knows the delivery location and can coordinate the agreed unloading arrangements. Confirm access hours and what should happen if the estimated arrival falls outside them. Do not assume a machine can be left unattended simply because a property has an open gate.
Agree on what happens if the plan changes
Rain, unfinished work, a mechanical problem or an unavailable receiving contact can change the move. Establish who will notify the coordinator and who can approve a revised date or location. Ask whether a change would affect availability, waiting time or the quoted price.
For example, if the loader must stay another day to finish the current job, the next step is to reconfirm collection and receiving arrangements. It is not enough to tell only the operator at the destination. This is a planning example, not a description of a completed ETS shipment.
Send one clear transfer request
For a skid steer, compact track loader or other construction or agricultural machine, send:
- The exact make and model, current dimensions, weight and operating condition.
- Pickup and delivery ZIP codes, entrance details and site photos.
- The earliest release time, collection hours and requested delivery window.
- The complete attachment list and any required loading or unloading assistance.
- A named contact at each property, plus the person authorized to approve changes.
Elevation Transport Services coordinates heavy equipment transport for contractors, dealers, rental businesses and equipment owners. The move is evaluated around the actual machine, route and access conditions. Pickup and delivery timing remains estimated unless a specific arrangement is confirmed in writing.
Have a machine moving to its next job or farm? Request an equipment transport quote or call 800-251-9024. Send the machine details and both locations so we can review the handoff before dispatch.
Illustrative equipment photo: Bobcat skid steer, Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Not presented as an ETS shipment. Manufacturer names are descriptive and do not imply affiliation.
