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Roll off, hook lift, tilt bed for hauling equipment?

Chewie2105

Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
Messages
19
Location
British Columbia
we have both a rollback tandem for our larger equipment, and a single axle hook lift, both are great for the job, we are a rental company so move bit of everything, the trucks are on the older side but the decks are great, height on both is the trade off but hasn't been a huge issue for our fleet yet
 

712alberta

Active Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2013
Messages
31
Location
Alberta Canada
View attachment 233577 View attachment 233576 View attachment 233575 What about something like this. Bed height seems lower than the roll off and hook lifts. Just not sure how loading and unloading would work? Would you have to get out of the piece of equipment with the deck up to lower it down to transport position?

The 2 lowboy services we use have Landoll traveling axle trailers similar to that roll back. They have remotes to operate the trailer in addition to the controls on the trailer. I would assume roll back's have the same option.

I ran a smaller rollback truck for a scrap yard for a few months. It had a hand held remote that would run all functions, except the wheel lift. It was great. If I got to a spot to pick up a vehicle that ran, I could drive it on and run the deck back to the locked and level position. This was on a 550 ford, it was a nice set up. Just wish I got paid.
 

old-iron-habit

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
4,233
Location
Moose Lake, MN
Occupation
Retired Cons't. Supt./Hospitals
Love to have a tandem hooklift with a lift axle. Here in AL that would be legal up to 86K on state and local roads, no Interstate.

Flatbed to haul small equipment, dump bed, water tank with sprayer, 20' conex job boxes, dumpsters for demo, etc. They are pricey new though. A tri-axle with 60K lift will be north of $225K before any bodies.


A larger west coast contractor friend has a hook lift tandem and a half dozen or more flatbed skids for it along with the normal debri tubs, etc. His smaller paving crews each have one. His utility crews have a flatbed skid also. The hook driver drops the skid off with the small roller and paver or whatever else they need and goes on his way. They do the job, load everything up at 10" off the ground and tie it down ready to go again. He comes back, checks the tie downs and is on his way in no time. One truck services a number of crews and still the capability to haul debri on the demo jobs in between. He claims to have 1 truck doing what five used to do and mostly sat around at much expense.
 

JLarson

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2020
Messages
656
Location
AZ
Occupation
Owner- civil and heavy repair/fab company
I'd love to have a roll back, with a knuckle boom on it would be super sweet. Being able to drag up dead small equipment, parts, load on whole engines and trans. Carrying loads of material for jobs probably at times too.
 

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,692
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
View attachment 233577 View attachment 233576 View attachment 233575 What about something like this. Bed height seems lower than the roll off and hook lifts. Just not sure how loading and unloading would work? Would you have to get out of the piece of equipment with the deck up to lower it down to transport position?
United rentals uses trucks like this one you have in the photo. We have the drop and go, and it is a lot higher, and heavier. They bought it for the truck, and were going to put a dump box on it, but have kept it as is for now. The identical truck with a gravel box can scale around 16 tons of gravel. The drop and go with the automatic transmission, and the deck frame can only scale around 12 and a half. It came with a low sided dump box as well as the flat deck.
 

skyking1

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2020
Messages
7,465
Location
washington
I'd love to have a roll back, with a knuckle boom on it would be super sweet. Being able to drag up dead small equipment, parts, load on whole engines and trans. Carrying loads of material for jobs probably at times too.
yes a 'nuck and slide would be handy. towing a 20 ton tandem axle trailer solves some of the weight problems.
Unhook and park next to the trailer if needed to use knuckleboom to load it.
 

Tuck66

Active Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
41
Location
Canada
Here in British Columbia, CanadaI8I.I run a 2018 Frieghtliner..hook truck,with few different bin sizes,shapes and weights.
With my smallest 20 yd bin,almost a flat deck, I can haul around 12 tons,With my larger 50yd bin,..just28⁷2²2²² 10 ton..Now legal height of 13.6"...can squeeze lil more with over height permint 14ft ..1 -15/16..Under 14'2"...
Of.course certin roads, routes are acceptable. CVSE..- DOT...Are always gr8 to chat, & assist with questions, before they pull out a ticket book.
Lowbeds, and different trailer options all have their place also. My favorite for fast ,moving, and tight restricted areas is the roll off hook.
 

Aarons81

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2021
Messages
133
Location
Central Ohio
The roll-off is handy for moving equipment, But your limited on the height. The excavator in the pic is right at 13'-6". Its probably only a 30 series machine.
 

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cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,692
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
The roll-off is handy for moving equipment, But your limited on the height. The excavator in the pic is right at 13'-6". Its probably only a 30 series machine.
Wow! Someone threw those in the garbage? lol United rentals moves a lot of gear with tandem roll offs, but they are more like a flat deck tow truck. A lot lower, and lighter
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,250
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
UR has tandem roll backs here which is a different animal than a roll off or hook lift. Actually Sunbelt, UR, Cat, Komatsu and all the equipment rental/dealers have them. Easier to get around the congested parts of the metro area.
 

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,692
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
UR has tandem roll backs here which is a different animal than a roll off or hook lift. Actually Sunbelt, UR, Cat, Komatsu and all the equipment rental/dealers have them. Easier to get around the congested parts of the metro area.
Yeah we have a tandem with the hook and drop, the mechanism is quite high and heavy.
 
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