Over the side loading of a PC450-7

[Nick Drew]

Heres a shot of myself loading a Komatsu PC450-7 over the side onto a Dutch built Nooteboom trailer at the end of a dig in Plymouth England

 

[Squizzy246B]

Looks like you have a rock breaker hiding under that machine??

 

[DigDug]

what was the purpose of side loading? Tight area?
Nice pics.

 

[richardcatdaddy]

subject

Yipes!Now thats a tight load even from the side.That hoe is about the same size as our Cat 345.Decent size machine for sure.Good job on the side load. I dont want to ever have to do that.:usa

 

[thejdman04]

I agree, why didnt you drop the neck?

 

[Nick Drew]

I agree, why didnt you drop the neck?

Hi jdman,

Yes this was a tight site and over the side was the easiest option in the circumstances, I know its not "PC" these days but I used to do it all the time in years gone by:beatsme all be it with smaller machines !!

The truck driver was getting pushed for time and had to get this machine up to London for work the next morning.

All went well & no one got hurt!!:drinkup

 

[thejdman04]

Hi jdman,

Yes this was a tight site and over the side was the easiest option in the circumstances, I know its not "PC" these days but I used to do it all the time in years gone by:beatsme all be it with smaller machines !!

The truck driver was getting pushed for time and had to get this machine up to London for work the next morning.

All went well & no one got hurt!!:drinkup

Thats all that matters. I just dont like side loading, esp w/that size machine. Seen too many that are twisted etc and never hook easily, or right after being side loaded a bunch

 

[LowBoy]

I gotta agree. When all else fails, and there's no options, I will do what I have to do in the event. Last week I was in a circumstance where I had to side-unload just a little 307 Cat, but I did it gently, so as not to hurt the deck of my brand new 2007 Fontaine lowbed. I usually will put down several big blocks on the ground to minimize the dropoff distance to ground zero. Of course, my bucket's on the ground in front of me, using the bottom of it as a "sled" while ever-so-easily crawling down off the rail of the trailer. Once I touch the tracks to the dirt, I spin around and use the sled again, taking some pressure off the tracks onto the deck of the trailer, unless I can reach over it onto the ground on the other side. I put a block or something to keep from galling the planking up while I'm sliding the bucket, running the dipper out, and traveling at the same time. It's definitely a multi-tasking ordeal, but very rewarding if there's people watching.:naughty

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Isn't the truck overloaded with that machine ?

There is no jeep under the gooseneck the axles must be overloaded ?

If a operator loaded a machine over the side on any of the lowbeds in my area the driver would freak especially a 450 sized machine it doesn't take much to tweak a side rail on the bed. Most lowbedders can have the neck removed in less than 5 minutes. One contractor has a hydraulic detach it takes seconds to remove the neck. Its not like the old style removables where you drop the trailer pull the pins on the neck back the truck up take the neck off.

 

[RonG]

I gotta agree. When all else fails, and there's no options, I will do what I have to do in the event. Last week I was in a circumstance where I had to side-unload just a little 307 Cat, but I did it gently, so as not to hurt the deck of my brand new 2007 Fontaine lowbed. I usually will put down several big blocks on the ground to minimize the dropoff distance to ground zero. Of course, my bucket's on the ground in front of me, using the bottom of it as a "sled" while ever-so-easily crawling down off the rail of the trailer. Once I touch the tracks to the dirt, I spin around and use the sled again, taking some pressure off the tracks onto the deck of the trailer, unless I can reach over it onto the ground on the other side. I put a block or something to keep from galling the planking up while I'm sliding the bucket, running the dipper out, and traveling at the same time. It's definitely a multi-tasking ordeal, but very rewarding if there's people watching.:naughty

I have side loaded a lot over the years and I don't know of any mfg that recommends it and it can sure do some damage over time.
The damage can be minimized however by placing cribbing under the outside rails of the trailer on the side you are loading from and I see cribbing on the ground in the pics that were posted here so they might have done that as well.This is not to say that I always used it but it is a good practice.
Those Fontaines sure make a nice trailer Ron G

 

[richardcatdaddy]

subject

We have a Etnyre Blackhawk 55 ton drop deck detatch,Takes me about 45 seconds to drop it and clear the loading ramps infront.Drop it,pull 2 pins and drop the foot and I am outta the way.It far to easy to rip a trailer up side loading and I wont do it.Mainly cause my boss says not to.After all,he who signs the paycheck is the man.:usa

 

[Nick Drew]

Hey Guys,

Please don't beat me up about the side loading here!! The low loader driver asked me to put it on that way so who was I to argue!! after all he was an owner driver so if there was any damage done it would have been his problem.

+ I am a careful operator :lmao :lmao

 

[Nick Drew]

More pics of the side load.

 

[fhdesign]

I for one won't be beating you up... I'm very impressed thanks for the pictures!

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Must have been a lazy driver who didn't want to load the trailer properly.

All what counts is the machine got moved and didn't fall off on the way to the next job site. I still say the truck was overloaded moving that machine the axles on the truck must have been exceeding their capacity.

 

[CascadeScaper]

I don't see how that would machine would overload the truck and trailer, the lowboy has 4 axles alone. Around here guys will move 450's with a 3 axle lowboy without a jeep, a tandem axle tractor with a 20K lift axle. Technically, this truck has more tires than a setup here runs, same amount of axles, which is 7 for the truck and trailer, but the lift axle only has 2 tires instead of 4. Standard setup here would include 24 tires, this setup has 26. Am I missing something?

 

[Ford LT-9000]

A truck usually is only supposed to have at max 37,000lbs over the drives with that 450 Komatsu almost weighing 100,000lbs and the way that trailer is designed in reality only 2 axles on the trailer are supporting most of the weight. The third and fourth axle really are not taking much load.

Anyhow its different rules for different parts of the country. Contractors used to get away with stuff like that. For us to haul a 450 sized machine borderline legal is a tridem lowbed,single axle jeep and lowbed tractor. Take for instance we wouldn't be legal to haul the hammer with the machine the extra 2 tons would put the truck overweight. Our rule of thumb is 20,000lbs per axle excluding the steer with max gvw of 140,000lbs and quad axle trailers are not legal they don't turn.

Side loading used to be a little more common back in the early years when detachable gooseneck trailers were not as common. Trying to crawl a old excavator with worn out tracks and final drives up and over the dove tail on a lowbed is tough. So options like building dirt ramps on either side of the lowbed to get the machine on or buiding ramps with wood cribbing were used.

Watched a guy side load a old 200 Hitachi well worn out machine the tracks sagged and loose. Got it on and sideways but it took 30 mins or more of him trying to get it square on the trailer. With the tracks being so loose he pushed the tracks didn't want to slide but when they did it was too far then had to push it back.

Had a lowbed company pick up a compactor from my famillies freight yard the other day. It was a older detachable neck trailer guy had the trailer broke apart in seconds.

 

[rino1494]

I've side loaded alot of machines in my day, but nothing that big. Sweet pics.

 

[murray83]

Side loading to me is a lost art,not many can do it around here nowadays and I for one would love to try it again and love seeing it done.

If you notice the picture it seems the driver has dropped his gooseneck down on blocking at ground level so in my opinion little damage could happen.I'm guessing its a 55-60 ton detachable anyway a 450 is nothing.

Its already been said but excellant pictures and keep them comming.

 

[jimmyjack]

finally a place to use this video i found

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g3iw--TUTc&mode=related&search=