Headlines of disaster have been almost nonstop in recent years with hurricanes, floods, tornados, wildfires, and earthquakes making big news. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) cites the cost of the last few decades of disasters at $1 trillion. And this doesn’t even include hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, with Hurricane Harvey potentially the biggest financial weather disaster, causing damage that may end up costing the US almost $3 billion.
Yet most of us are armchair onlookers thanking our lucky stars we were not affected. Although these severe events can quickly subside, the consequences of devastation and disruption and the heartache of loss and irreparable damage continue as a life-altering event.
Cleaning up the aftermath of a disaster, whether it is a small mobile home park, a neighborhood, or millions of parkland acres, is a daunting, expensive, and necessary task to restore order post-disaster and puts the capacity of mechanical equipment to the test. Delivering this equipment to sites can only occur with the help of the trailer transport industry; and large or small, these are the crucial workhorse vehicles that get the task of disaster cleanup in motion.
Getting Service Where Needed
Not all areas can be serviced with large excavation, so the trailer needs to fit the need. To that end, Daniel Downing of Kaufman Trailers says, “We address a customer’s needs for maneuverability in these situations.
“I’d say we have almost limitless options available, and within our 20 to 25 different trailer models there are some specifics that make them well suited for disaster work.”
During a disaster cleanup, Downing says, “Typically you’d be hauling heavy construction equipment so we would see customers requesting one of our two- to four-axle trailers that have a 35- to 55-ton capacity.” Reaching areas hit by fire or flooding with closed or damaged roadways requires flexible, user-friendly equipment to help reconstruction or relief efforts.
The Kaufman tilt equipment trailers offer the versatility needed and are the most popular of the Kaufman models, featuring a Standard Tilt and a Deluxe Tilt. The biggest advantage to these trailers is in their loading ability—the 14-foot tilting rear section has knife-edge toe plates “so you can easily load your machine from the rear.” The front has a fixed 8-foot-long section and the 26-inch empty floor height is even with the top frame. “This deck space is great for sideloading palletized construction or landscaping materials, attachments for your skid steer, mini-excavator, or rubber tracked loader, making it a perfect model for farm, landscape, and construction use,” says Downing.
In Florida and Texas, Downing says they almost always get more calls during hurricane season for the three-axle, 50- to 55-ton construction model, and while “we can’t really know what they are going out for, as many customers use these for day-to-day work, chances are those local contractors will be called on for help during the storm aftermath,” he adds.
As there is not a particular “disaster use” model, there is really no way to know if they are being used for debris cleanup and hauling.
“Many customers may already be using the model for the usual day-to-day construction needs,” but the trailers have attributes that hold up under the most rigorous conditions that may be encountered during a disaster.
“All units are fabricated with high tensile steel beams, with attention to detail that sets us apart from the rest of the industry.” He explains that “the beams are not milled, but fabricated, a technique that allows for flexibility in adjusting product features, and allows manufacturers to customize their product without retooling an entire operation.”
“We have, for example, a 2.5 arch, or camber, in our steel beams making them better able to handle heavy loads.”
More recently, Kaufman has established a commercial line of product that he says “is very versatile, with longer well lengths and lower deck heights.”
Downing says, “The feature we are really advancing is that this is a trailer you can use to haul very heavy material in over-the-road contract hauling and you can use it as a regular freight trailer.”
The company is all about customizing their detachables, Downing adds, and they build extremely customized detachables. “There’s no need to get a 50-foot trailer if you get by with something much smaller. We address maneuverability and pair those with your needs so you get that perfect fit.”
Customers can have factory-direct delivery anywhere in the US or they can pick up their trailer from one of two distribution centers east or west of the Mississippi River. “With our strict internal standards and our NATM certification customers can be assured they are making a long-lasting investment in a durable product.”
Harsh Winters, Rough Terrain
The Atlantic Canadian province New Brunswick is known worldwide for its fish, seafood, and tourism, and is the definition of picturesque. But away from the coast of quaint fishing villages lies rugged terrain and trees and these become one of Canada’s prime export commodities: lumber. For 50 years, New Brunswick-based BWS Manufacturing has helped deliver that lumber to market on its log trailers.
Their EZ-2-Load brand is seen on the job in diverse industrial and construction arenas including forestry, highway, oilfield, agriculture, and snow removal. Product Specialist Gary Thomas, who has a long tenure with the company says, “Often times, custom applications are requested by customers depending on their specific needs.”
“In this situation, our engineering team is asked to provide a solution for a particular transportation scenario that requires a custom product.”
In view of recent disasters in California and the southern US, Thomas says, “A number of our BWS trailer models would be perfect to facilitate the necessary recovery/relief and cleanup efforts.”
When time is of the essence, work must be done quickly. But very often, accessing sites compromised by fire or flood presents logistical issues. Thomas says in unusual circumstances, their EZ-2-load Rigidneck mobile trailers offer “fast on” and “fast off” loading for the heavy 50- to 60-ton equipment that is routinely needed for recovery and relief efforts.
He adds that it can go both on and off the road, “so using it in rough terrain is no problem as they are designed with maximum ground clearance for this very purpose.” The Rigidneck “stands out as one of the most durable EZ-2-Load models,” affirms Thomas.
The BWS Hydraulic Detachable Gooseneck is another on-road off-road model designed for oversize dimensional equipment. The trailer model ranges from 35- to 60-ton capacity and features a unique patented air mechanism for detaching assistance to the main deck. Four different models range from 48 to 52 feet in length.
Once the gooseneck is detached, he says, tire and track equipment can easily be loaded and unloaded at the front end. The trailer also meets all US and Canadian transportation regulations.
Thomas reports that while helicopters are often used for firefighting, getting them to a specific site requires special transport and the 35-ton Mechanical Detachable Extendable EZ-2-Load model fits the bill perfectly.
The unique characteristics of this flatbed enable the lower deck area to be extended in increments, and a flexible track incorporating the air and electrical connections not only protects but also removes the need to connect and disconnect while extending the deck. The 35MD2X53 model has an overall length of 53 feet but can extend up to 61 feet and has a solid track record helping transport helicopters, oversize equipment, and oversize reels of hosing for firefighting.
“We’ve sold many of these to companies in British Columbia just for that very purpose,” says Thomas.
“This same model can haul rock trucks for oversize loads, such as large off-road dump trucks, bulldozers, excavators, and transporting crates. And because its well loading area extends from 29 to 50 feet you can transport very long items, making it perfect to haul infrastructure materials in reconstruction following a natural disaster.”
However, Thomas suggests, “This trailer is more suited for the cleanup in the aftermath of a disaster, not necessarily in the midst of recovery.”
For smaller recovery needs, the equipment he recommends is their 15- to 40-ton capacity trailers that include their EZ-2-Load Tag Trailers, Equipment Trailers, and Equipment Pavers.
“Construction is a large part of disaster recovery, so BWS would recommend these options for companies looking to rebuild homes, work sites, roads ditches, and so forth,” says Thomas.
A Talbert 3-axle travelling axle trailer at work
This Axe Cuts Decision Making
Midway between Miami and West Palm Beach lies Delray Beach and the headquarters of AXE Trailers, which Vice President of Business Development Robert DiCarlo says “plays an important role in the specialty hauling business.”
“This can be particularly true for our customers who are engaged in the cleanup and assistance efforts in disaster, something that here in Florida we face on a very regular basis,” says DiCarlo.
He explains that AXE is not a manufacturer, but a company that facilitates the end product of trailer manufacturing to the user. Through a unique collaboration with customers and manufacturers, AXE helps design and develop trailers for specialty and standard trailer hauling.
DiCarlo adds, “We work as a national dealership with a number of different manufacturers in the trailer industry space.”
“Plus, we’re the number one outlet for bringing certified pre-owned trailers to the market, and we assist customers everywhere with new purchase needs.”
Working with XL Specialized Trailers, a manufacturer in Manchester, IA, “they have done some pretty nifty trailers for disaster relief,” and helping clients get what they need, particularly for disaster work, “is at the top of their expertise,” says DiCarlo.
“When Irma hit Florida, we saw a big request for all types of trailers, but especially for tag trailers and trash hauling. Leveraging our close relationships with manufacturers and other dealerships we were able to work these deals quickly, as it was essential to expedite this equipment to buyers in a timely manner.
“Many of our customers had FEMA or state contracts and were bound by those agreements to start and complete work within a set time frame. Getting paid depends on contractors meeting those deadlines, so we leveraged our relationships to get 65 trailers together to meet our needs quickly.”
He said AXE worked with Minneapolis-based Felling Trailers, manufacturers offering more than 220 trailer models “for acquiring needed tag trailers,” and “the dumps were provided by northern Ohio’s East Manufacturing Corporation.”
“There was a big increase in sales of trash haul trailers, as hurricane and flood clean-up always spikes a big need for trailers that go behind dump trucks. Customers can take their equipment on the trailer, do the job, and when done, the dump truck can leave with a full load and take the equipment with it.”
In the last few years, DiCarlo has seen an increase in the heavy haul industry with requests for specialty 60- and 70-ton units, and more recently 80-ton units.
“We had been selling one a year, these are 16-axle setups. But then there was a sudden increase in 2013 and 2014 and then in 2017, and 2017 we’re seeing a phenomenal increase in heavy hauling.”
“We also have a 60 ton, 10-foot wide model that can haul supertankers, and these help move non-potable water that is used to fight wildfires. Another model is a 55-ton extendable trailer built specifically for crane companies that don’t need to stretch out the equipment during transport. This is ideal for those scenarios when you need to get access in a restrictive space—for debris removal for example—and need a crane to lift large debris but have tight trailer maneuverability.”
The gooseneck of a Towmaster T70DTG-HT
Going Strong After 40 Years
Flatbed trailers, one of the specialties of Minnesota-based Monroe Towmaster, LLC., enjoy long service lives, says Marketing Manager Shane Zeppelin. “America’s best-built trailers for professional haulers,” is their motto and they have four decades of manufacturing to back up that reputation.
The company offers customers eight trailer groups to choose from including drop deck, tilt, dump, air tilt deck, hydraulic tail, rigid, and detachable gooseneck. Within each respective group, customers can choose from light to heavy-duty models offering hauling capacity ranging from 6,000 to 120,000 pounds.
Zeppelin says, “One of our specialty trailers suited for disasters of all types are the small dump trailers that can go behind a contractor’s pickup; perfect for when you need to get in quickly and assist debris removal.”
“For example, in a more small-scale disaster like a tornado that comes through and destroys a smaller section of a community, you could take a hydraulic dump trailer that has a capacity of 9,000 to 14,000 pounds and attach this to a 1-ton truck and get to work.
“Your small Bobcat would load on the trailer and you haul it to the site, use that to fill up the trailer with debris, then haul that away. At the end of the day load up the Bobcat and take it home.”
The Hydraulic Tail model could be used in disaster areas where other trailers might not work. The T-70HT, T-80HT, and T-110HT come in 43- to 48-foot deck lengths and with a winch option available, Zeppelin says you could hook that onto large debris and drag it up for removal. This can eliminate the need for a labor crew to cut up materials, or attempt to size the debris to the removal trailer.
Another model well suited for the purpose, he says, is the detachable gooseneck.
“This uses hydraulic cylinders to detach the neck from the deck. The gooseneck stays attached to the tractor as it pulls away. You then load large equipment, hook up the gooseneck to the deck, and go to the disaster site.
“We’ve even installed winches on these trailers that are used to pull dead equipment onto the deck. If you have a big disaster, you will be hauling bigger equipment so this is a perfect unit for those circumstances.”
One rental supplier in California that has provided Towmasters for cleanup in recent disaster scenarios says, “These trailers were used in a variety of disaster responses.”
Zeppelin says, “Our goal is to make sure we can support the current contracts for remediation utility companies during disasters and cleanup. Even before we get to the cleanup stage, municipalities contract with these firms to get power restored, and this means getting equipment out and to the site as quickly as possible.”
“For these reasons,” says Zeppelin, “We are committed to building strong trailers, today and tomorrow. There are value trailers on the market—a lot of them—but Towmaster builds the trailers you depend on for your livelihood. That means getting your equipment where it needs to be, to get the job done.”
From Shingles to Satellites
It might be suggested that Talbert trailers and specialty transport are synonymous terms and Troy Geisler, Talbert’s vice president for sales and marketing, who says the company is now celebrating its 80th anniversary, “couldn’t agree more.”
“Our founding 80 years ago as Talbert Construction Equipment first provided crane and construction machinery rentals and heavy haul transports in the Chicago area. Austin Talbert became known for specialty trailer manufacturing,” he says.
“We have always been known for introducing groundbreaking concepts, including the first low-bed removable gooseneck trailer, first to use self-steering axles, first to design and incorporate air suspension, and first to use high strength heat treated steel, known as T1A,” explains Geisler.
Within their menu of models, Geisler says they have a “vast line of trailers for disaster and relief that can do it all.
“We offer 40- to 55- ton, three-axle Travelling Axle trailers that range 48 to 53 feet long as a perfect choice for this work,” he says.
“These trailers are quite popular within towing and recovery, and the nice thing about these are you can easily and safely load on and load off. If equipment is broken or disabled, time is of the essence to retrieve that machinery, and if it’s not operational you can safely drag it onto the bed with the winch mechanism.”
He adds that during the East Coast hurricanes, a Florida Talbert dealer, Hale Trailer Brake and Wheel, “had a lot of demand for their stock tag-a-long trailers because of the huge demand to attach these behind dump trucks for disaster recovery.”
“They practically sold out of the stock tag trailers in a short time, while also putting a nice dent in their stock hydraulically detach lowbed trailers.” Geisler reports that one benefit the North American Talbert dealers offer is their “vast array of equipment that offers a huge range of choice and options.”
Geisler explains that within each trailer grouping you can pick from a range of models, “so whether your job is picking up shingles or debris from the aftermath of a tornado, or revamping an entire neighborhood in the reconstruction, you pick the group attributes you want and then can scale up or down in options.”
Alabama-based CrowderGulf has built their business on disaster recovery, offering services for before, during, and after an event as their day-to-day focus. For several decades, the company has been providing technical assistance and debris removal and disposal to those areas affected by any and all types of disaster throughout the US. Key to getting the equipment where it’s needed most, however, is Talbert trailers.
Jeff Barry of Lucky’s Trailers in South Royalton, VT, says, “Crowder has Talbert trailers in their fleet and most recently bought a 60-ton drop side from us, a model that can move the big excavators, screening machines, and other oversized equipment.
“The Talbert hydraulic detachable gooseneck design allows the user to safely and dependably drive equipment right up on the deck. This allows the user to quickly move to various sites where equipment is needed.”
“Over the years we have built hundreds of trailers with various designs and customizations we can offer for customers to choose from. When designing for specialty service, you have to go up to the next capacity to allow you to safely and legally transport down the road, as the DOT regulations can change by route and by states.
“Now, with over 80 years in the market, we continue to set the bar for specialized heavy equipment haulers.”
According to officials in Biloxi, MS, the amount of debris hauled away from Hurricane Katrina was estimated to be the size of a football field, but six stories high. And this doesn’t include the road debris taken to the ocean to build new areas of underwater piers. That’s a lot of trailer and dump loads!
