When it comes to heavy machinery rentals for your earthmoving or pipeline projects, crawler carriers tend to be a highly valuable piece of equipment to have on the field.
Carriers provide many benefits to construction teams, their ability to configure with different bed systems is by far one of their most appealing features. Most equipment suppliers and manufacturers offer various types of modular bed configurations for crawler carrier rentals each useful for different tasks.
The ability to swap the bed system of heavy machinery rentals means construction teams can use a singular piece of equipment for multiple tasks. Less total equipment needed on the field leads to increased flexibility, productivity, and, of course, a decrease in overall costs.
Although your bed configuration of choice depends on the job at hand, most provide an easier and more economical method for moving diverse types of construction materials.
Read on to learn about all the different bed configurations out there and how to choose the right one for your next pipeline or earthmoving construction project!
Pick the Right Carrier Bed Configuration for the Job
Of course, equipment managers must consider several aspects about the project and construction site before choosing the right heavy machinery rentals or bed configuration for the job.
For example, the project timeline, location, and budget are all necessary factors to determine before choosing a bed configuration for your crawler carrier. Once these project factors are determined, your equipment supplier should be able to assist you in choosing the right heavy machinery rentals.
After you’ve determined a crawler carrier that meets your project locations, timeline, and budget, you should ask your equipment supplier about any available bed systems that will configure with the carrier model chosen.
It’s also important to note that when renting versus purchasing equipment, access to certain crawler carrier bed configurations will depend on the equipment supplier’s inventory.
Below are some of the most popular bed configurations for crawler carriers.
Dump Bed
Dump bed configurations are typically used for transporting and dumping materials such as dirt and gravel on job sites. These configurations are a much more flexible alternative to renting or purchasing a totally separate dump truck.
SUPERIOR Manufacturing offers a crawler carrier dump bed configuration which fits on any size carrier. This bed system is made with a reinforced steel-cross frame and has a heavy duty tilt angle of 55 degrees!
Water Tank
Water tank bed configurations are primarily used for the purpose of controlling dust on the job site. However, they are also commonly used for transporting drinking water to construction workers.
SUPERIOR Manufacturing offers a great water tank configuration option specifically for the SUPERIOR ST-220X Crawler Carrier model. This water tank bed configuration consists of a 2,000 gallon tank mounted on a 12’ flatbed. However, for rental purposes you’ll need to check with your supplier to see if the configuration is available during your project.
Flatbed and Fifth Wheel
The flatbed carrier bed configuration works a lot like a flatbed truck’s flatbed component. The same is true for the fifth wheel attachment. The difference is that a flatbed truck may not be able to haul equipment over rough terrain as a crawler carrier can.
SUPERIOR’s fifth wheel configuration boasts a whopping 50,000 lb load capacity and many other technical advantages and features including a simple and quick lock adjustment pin with four incremental positions to reduce the risk of over adjustment.
Whereas the flatbed configuration is made from A36 steel with 5/16 inch thickness for the sides, floor and headboard and has three heavy duty grommets on either side for securing the load (heavy duty only), a tuckable step ladder on either side and hydraulic cylinders for load dumping.
Sand-Blasting
The sand-blasting carrier bed contains a sand-blasting pod. If you’re dealing with older and dirtier construction materials, this may be the bed for you. Sand-blasting can clean off all kinds of grime and prepare the coated pipe for welding.
Welding Deck
A welding deck provides the equipment one needs for welding. Your crew will likely have portable welding equipment they can use while joining together pipe and performing tie-ins. However, it may be more efficient to have different kinds of welding equipment available. A welding deck mounted on a crawler carrier is especially helpful in hard to access areas on the right of way.
Personnel Carrier
Do you need to carry a lot of contractors over a large space of rough terrain? The more financially smart option may be to use a crawler carrier with a personnel carrier. The crawler carrier is a perfect rough terrain vehicle and it can carry many people at a time with a personnel carrier. It can also be used to provide temperature controlled rest area for extreme environments.
Considerations For Heavy Machinery Rentals
To get the right carrier bed configuration for the job, you shouldn’t just be thinking about the bed’s purpose. You need to also make sure you’re choosing the right size, rental partner, and other factors. You also need to consider certain logistics like time and a variety of choices.
As you can see, there are a lot of details involved with renting machinery. You have to pay extra-close attention to all of the details, big and small. Consider having a second person look over your work if you don’t think you can do this.
Schedule the Rental In Advanced
Most construction companies schedule their heavy machinery rentals weeks or even months ahead of time. For example, you wouldn’t want to try schedule construction rentals on a Friday afternoon if the job starts Monday. Of course, there’s several reasons for why planning is critical for equipment managers.
Firstly, any reputable suppliers will be unable to provide even initial rental quotes without the exact project timeline and location. But why?
With heavy machinery rentals comes somewhat in-depth planning. This includes assessing inventory as well as coordinating delivery and return of equipment. All of these factors determine whether they can supply you the equipment in the first place (given location and timeline of project.)
It’s also critical for determining how and under what timeline they’ll be able get equipment from one job site, back to the shop for quality assessment, and then off to the next project.
Overall, the key to any successful construction company is the equipment managers ability to plan and organize heavy machinery rentals in advanced.
Check That You Have the Right Size
Even though it doesn’t seem easy to pick the wrong crawler carrier size,, it can happen. You can get too involved with more complicated details and forget to handle simpler ones. This oversight can leave you with a crawler carrier bed that’s too big or small.
In one scenario, a crawler carrier back that’s too small may not handle a job as efficiently as you like. Likewise, a unit that is too big will cost more and may not be the best use of project funds.
Make Sure a Crew Member Can Operate the Equipment
You don’t want to go through the trouble of renting heavy machinery only to find that no one in your crew can operate it effectively. An inexperienced operator can end up causing severe damage that you’ll have to pay for. Make sure that a crew member has experience with a machine before you rent it.
Also, if you have an experienced crew member, you may be able to get advice from them. Ask them what carrier bed they think will be best for the job you need to handle.
Find the Right Supplier For Renting Heavy Machinery
There are a lot of things that can separate a good renting company from a bad one. Some of these details are general. You want to make sure that the company is honest, communicates well, and has experience with your industry.
Other details are more specific. Make sure the company has a wide variety of equipment options available and all of it is high-quality. Also, picking a company with several locations in a local area ensures that they can get you the equipment you need quickly.
W Silver: Heavy Machinery Rentals Is Our Specialty
When considering heavy machinery rentals and picking the right bed configurations it’s important to know your options and choose from the best manufacturers and suppliers in the industry. When you have the right equipment and configurations the productivity of your team will increase – leaving you with fewer expenses, and more satisfied stakeholders!
If you’re looking for heavy machinery rentals and/or would like to explore bed configuration options, W Silver has you covered. We are one of the world’s largest suppliers of high quality, late model, heavy construction equipment.
Furthermore, W Silver is the one and only supplier of SUPERIOR Manufacturing equipment who designs and fabricates the crawler carriers and bed configurations of choice in the pipeline industry!
Get a rental quote today!
