In this day and age nigh on every transport company tries to earn the most that they possibly can out of a truck, trailer and driver.
So it just totally bewilders me that my firm have a 52 plate XF and a low loader trailer sat in the yard doing bugger all 99% of the time.
So i got to thinking about that tonight (as im out in it tomorrow) and as i’d much prefer to be going up n’ down the highways and byways of the country in a nice clean wagon with a low loader full time as opposed to going back and forth to landfill sites all day i had the idea to question my TM about it tomorrow.
Surely there must be work about for a low loader as in machine movement or vehicle movement like grumpybum does
What other work could you do with it im thinking about suggesting to my TM local plant hire firms, local car auctions (they sell commercials as well and they wont fit on a car transporter will they?), vehicle dealers but i was also thinking about backloads stuff like timber out of Thurrock maybe? Can you use a low loader as if it was a flatbed for backloads? I know loading bays are out of the question and pallet space is reduced due to slopes and ramps. Do any backload companies specialise in low loader work?
For all i know they may have looked into it and decided it wasn’t a viable option but i cant see how that could be, I mean how can a vehicle pay for itself just sat in the yard, It seems the only work it does is inhouse vehicle movement (tomorrow im picking up a gully sucker with it from somewhere) which is few and far between
Basically what i would like to achieve is enough regular work on this to get me off the landfill work so any advice or suggestions would be appreciated…
At our place we have got two 6 wheelers, one with crane, one without. And a 6x2 unit with lowloader plant trailer (44t)
Although the lowloader is mostly used for moving our 20t / 14t / and ducks about it does get hired out for moving other peoples plant.
Me and the other 6 wheeler probably work 65 / 35% external / internal moves. I am always moving other peoples plant about, there are loads of groundworkers without there own wagons around here. I also deliver new JCB’s for the local dealer, get contracted out to Hewden quite reguarly.
Aside from self propelled plant that can be driven or winched on, I have moved blocks, timber, fruit and even a section of an aeroplane.
I would say that there is definately work out there. I haven’t seen any of his posts for a while but Big Joe was doing this working as an OD (I think)
It’s varied and interesting work (to me anyway) It’s a nice feeling to be confronted with some strange machine or vehicle, figure out how it works and get it loaded safely.
thanks for the reply 8wheels, I think its a job i’d really enjoy as i do like the odd challenge for the grey matter, I just cant believe its an idea i’ve got to try and sell to my firm, as someones signature on here says (cant remember who’s) “its as daft as that!”
Speak to your nearest heavy plant dealers (JCB/Hitachi/Cat/Daewoo etc) see if there have any delivery work,look at at forklift truck dealers too. Plenty of Agricultural machinery dealers need equipment moved around this time of year too. 
Just today I saw a low-loader carrying a near full load of 1 tonne fertiliser bags.
About a week ago I saw another one with what looked like Caberboard, or similar.
I guess nearly anything you’d put on a flat could go on a low-loader, subject to the weight penalty i.e. a flat will be lighter than a 'loader.
I passed a low-loader with concrete floors on today, I suppose as long as it does need to much length you could pull most things. Also there’s plenty of units heading to the docks so that could be another avenue to explore. Otherwise do the artic thing… drop the low loader & pull something else - traction etc.
we’re far too snooty and well paid to backload and fill-in, but it pees me off seeing somebody who you KNOW goes 28/30te empty carrying 24 packs of bricks - about time VOSA got wise to it, mainly plant firms
quite often you see the low loaders with the ramps that fold down to make a flat bed over the beavertail. though not all ramps fold like this, i saw one the other day and they had made a triangular section to fit on the beaver tail to do the same job
Like jj says, why fluff about with pallets or whatever, you get spoilt when you turn up to a drop, and are in and out in minutes cause you can tip yerself 
, as opposed to sitting in a que for hours waiting to be loaded by some spotty arsed youth on an FLT 