Spec creep and the disappearance of the 10-12 ton class excavators

[CM1995]

Transportation is a very regional thing. What a man can haul in Iowa where roads are arrow straight and flat as a skillet is completely different than here in the mountains with 20%+ grades and sharp switchbacks. Most of AL I've been in is somewhere in between.

Around here a 120 is about the biggest hoe you'll see behind a tandem/tri axle dump truck, lots of 8-9 tons. Even a 160 most guys are hauling with a semi and either a short rgn or a tandem/tridem pintle hitch trailer behind a semi tractor depending on how tight of roads they have to get down. Finding a safe spot to unload and turn around can also be a challenge. There are some sites that are just inaccessible to a 210 size hoe and 336 and up are relegated to work in town or sites with main highway access.

All that being said, I understand and agree with your logic. We just have to scale everything down a bit, hence my interest in the 10-12t class. A 5-6t hauls nicely behind a medium duty truck, 8-9t is better behind a tandem and at that point you might as well haul a 10-12t.

I was talking specifically about our operation as far as a lowboy goes. I could haul a 310 sized machine with our L9000 and tandem tag but I'd have to pack a lunch if the move is over 10 miles, cheaper to hire it moved.

Tight sites are where the Landoll our lowboy service has shines. Being able to slide the axles empty and maneuver a tight turn is extremely handy. One of those trailers are well over $100K new so it's cheaper to hire out.

In the past we've moved 315's behind a tandem and tri-axle dumps with the trailer we have now. Worked great.

 

[Tyler d4c]

Hears what it was like working in the early 2000s

 

[BC Placer gold]

Hears what it was like working in the early 2000s
View attachment 361359

Nice tidy outfit!

 

[IceHole]

I'm curious how many around here are over 26k without a CDL.

Very common for an F350-550 (or Dodge) with a 20k plus pound trailer.

My truck is 19,500 I think. Trailer 25,000.

 

[HarleyHappy]

Most are probably overweight.
Not sure why DOT lets them and the guys with 2500’s hauling a 6 ton mini but me and my Top kick hauling a backhoe gets all the attention.

 

[ThatGuysFarm]

If it fits it ships.

 

[MG84]

It's easy to spot the guys without enough truck by the way they load the machine, such as in that last pic. I always load with the blade to the front, house/stick pointing to the back, and generally pull the machine forward until the drive planetaries are centered between the trailer axles. There are a lot of guys running around with dangerously little tongue weight IMO.

 

[MG84]

Hears what it was like working in the early 2000s
View attachment 361359

That's an example of good machine placement, if the truck/trailer/machine are all sized properly I find that to be the right spot regardless of if it's a pickup with a 3.5-ton, a medium duty with a 6-ton, or a tandem with a larger machine.

 

[HarleyHappy]

If it fits it ships.

nice sized machine, wrong size truck!

 

[CM1995]

If it fits it ships.

Driving that would be like -

 

[AzIron]

Hears what it was like working in the early 2000s
View attachment 361359

Every pool digger around was set like that here

Cat designed the 314 for that application with a zero swing but you need a tandem dump and twenty ton tag to move it or a set up like this whitch is really handy
I just bought a 314 with rubber tracks last year and boy that's handy for a lot of things

 

[BC Placer gold]

Interesting; rubber tracks on a 14 ton…

I suppose could be very handy; especially if working in urban environments.

Nice tidy setup for hauling that 313!