Hauling Cat D8T

***..? Blade guards..? They look suspiciously like 10ft of Armco barrier to me....... :beatsme

We always loaded our d9n with wide u blade and rippers facing forward with the blade on the gooseneck. Just the way I was taught.

If I were to load the dozer facing forwards I would need to put the dozer right on the deck; if I were to put it up on the gooseneck I would be way heavy on the drivers given our laws and configuration. I could see loading one facing forward if putting the dozer on the gooseneck as then it would be higher than most auto windshields, and most guardrails and bridge abutments. I am not familiar with California's weight laws, but they must differ a fair amount from many other states as the Murray/Cozad expandable width trailers with two short axles and eight tires across are not too common here. http://www.murraytrailer.com/images/new/Professional/DSCF0016 med.jpg Also, I have always been a bit leery of placing weight directly on the neck for fear of interfering with the flex characteristics, and potentially causing stress cracks. It's probably not something to worry about, but I avoid it nonetheless.

Oxbow said: If I were to load the dozer facing forwards I would need to put the dozer right on the deck; if I were to put it up on the gooseneck I would be way heavy on the drivers given our laws and configuration. I could see loading one facing forward if putting the dozer on the gooseneck as then it would be higher than most auto windshields, and most guardrails and bridge abutments. Click to expand... Your loading it correct Oxbow . Like you mentioned when I load with blade up on gooseneck the weight is heavy on the drive axils and blade up high to clear obstacles . This works good for moving on narrow hilly washboard gravel cow path roads as the tractor wont spin out halfway up the hill .

I should throw in it was a baby 9 axle that we used and I think we could haul an 8n on a 16 tire spread axle cozad. It's been a while tho so I can't remember for sure.

Do they use escorts any more?It seems like an escort if it were required could take the edge off of some other safety measures in place now.Ron G

Nige said: ***..? Blade guards..? They look suspiciously like 10ft of Armco barrier to me....... :beatsme Click to expand... And now I've had chance to think about it all that they achieve is to make an already wide load maybe 18-24" wider IMHO. I personally don't see the sense in that TBH. I'm sure that between all who post on HEF, let alone those who've just posted on this thread, must have moved hundreds of dozers over the years. Let me ask the collective a question. Have anyone here actually experience of another vehicle colliding with a tractor blade while hauling it on the highway..? I know I haven't.

Yair . . . Nige . Never a problem with dozers on floats, a couple of incidents of drivers drifting over into the side of scraper-bowls when roading in traffic. Cheers.

I recall a 657 rear wheel going over the bonnet of a Mini that decided to poke it's nose too far past a stop sign just as the scraper was blatting past, but that's simply collateral damage ....... get over it - move on.

I used to volunteer my services as an escort if someone else was moving my machines but you can only be on one end at a time.I used to try to clear the road in the front on a two lane road if we were over width and found that to be most helpful if I was driving the wide load myself.I had a car hit my left front corner of my deck once but I was empty at the time.Ron G

RonG said: Do they use escorts any more?It seems like an escort if it were required could take the edge off of some other safety measures in place now.Ron G Click to expand... Our annual oversize/weight permit includes provisions requiring pilot cars either in front, back, or both depending on the width of load and highway traveled.

Sorry for the delay guys. I don't get on as much as I'd like lately. Yes, they aren't much more than custom bent guard rails, but they act as a buffer just in case someone bumps into it while heading down the road. The D8's and D6 LGP both get them because of the width, which is probably also why they have to come off when heading to other states. I think most contractors in this area have similar blade guards, but I haven't ever heard of them being hit.

I don't know how effective those bumpers are but the fact that they are there tends to put the blame in the other guys corner from a referees point of view I would think.I have never seen them before.It seems like a lot of work to install them.Ron G

RonG said: I don't know how effective those bumpers are but the fact that they are there tends to put the blame in the other guys corner from a referees point of view I would think.I have never seen them before.It seems like a lot of work to install them.Ron G Click to expand... I still think it makes an already wide load 2ft wider ......... go figure.

JimBruce42 said: It's amazing how different things can be state to state. In PA we can haul our D8's in one piece, but if we ship them to Maryland, Delaware, or Virginia, the blade has to come off. When the blade stays on, they are usually rear facing and we have blade guards on them as well, ya know, just in case. View attachment 145562 Click to expand... JimBruce42, that is a very nice looking lowboy, but different than I am used to seeing the way the trailer axles are enclosed; what brand is it?

Oxbow said: JimBruce42, that is a very nice looking lowboy, but different than I am used to seeing the way the trailer axles are enclosed; what brand is it? Click to expand... I honestly can't remember the brand. Most of our trailers are Talberts, but I don't think it is. I don't think there is much point to the axle shrouds. I do know it is probably the heaviest trailer in our fleet because of it though.

Thank you Jim; the trailer almost looks like a hybrid between conventional US/Canadian RGNs and the European styles of "floats" where the axles can steer and each side tandem moves independently.

Come to the U.K. as here we can haul 2 X D8's with all the trimmings hanging off them (no bits of Armco) on 1 trailer as a legal load. tctractors

Oxbow said: Thank you Jim; the trailer almost looks like a hybrid between conventional US/Canadian RGNs and the European styles of "floats" where the axles can steer and each side tandem moves independently. Click to expand... Yeah, it's just a cover over the wheels, they don't actually steer like a European unit.

That trailer is a liddel