Lowboy truck is probably one of the best rigs used for shipping or moving equipment. The design of a lowboy design is very useful for carrying heavy and oversized items across places with height requirements such as overpasses or bridges.
The lowboy flatbed is ideal for transporting heavy equipment with great stability. If you need trucks to be towed, it can be easily moved with this towing equipment. Big construction equipment such as bulldozers and excavators and be transported to work sites with lowboy towing trucks.
The Appearance and Functions of A Lowboy Towing Truck
A lowboy is similar to a flatbed tow truck, in a sense that they both seem to carry a “flatbed” platform behind the truck. The difference between them is the platform of a lowboy is lower and closer to the ground. If they come with a double drop deck, they can load and unload large equipment easily.
Flatbed tow trucks are usually used to move standard-sized vehicles. As for Lowboys, they can move machinery and equipment that can which can measure up to more than 10 feet in height. Another significant function is the weight lowboys can carry, a standard lowboy can tow up to 40,000 pounds. However, if the number of axles is increased, they can haul equipment up to 80,000 pounds. The length of a lowboy can range from 25 to around 30 feet, variations in length will depend on the type of lowboy truck.
Types of Lowboy
There are several types of lowboy trucks, each with its variations. The 3 common types of lowboys are the removable gooseneck (RGN), the fixed gooseneck (FGN), and fixed neck lowboy.
Removable gooseneck lowboy has 2 types; a mechanically detachable type or a hydraulic detachable type. The mechanical type does not need a pony motor and is lightweight. As for the hydraulic detachable type, the height can be adjusted or even detached with the use of hydraulic cylinders. When you need equipment to be driven, pushed, or pulled onto the lowboy, you may want to choose the removable gooseneck lowboy. Removable goosenecks are considered some of the heavy-duty haulers; they can be extended up to twenty axels, which enable them to carry up to 150,000 pounds.
Fixed gooseneck lowboy is simple to load items or equipment from the rear due to the drop decks. Despite the name “fixed” gooseneck, it actually can have an adjustable neck. The gooseneck can be reattached to keep the loading items on the platform in place.
A fixed neck lowboy has the neck completely secured in place. This lowboy is preferred by some due to the lightweight design. The downside to this design is, when there is a need to load a large heavy equipment from the front, loading will be difficult, largely since the neck is fixed and cannot be adjusted for loading.
Why Choose Lowboys
In trucking, drivers can transport all kinds of goods and equipment. When it comes to the heavy-duty tasks, is it up to the lowboy trucks to the jobs. Regular trucks or vans cannot deliver the height and weight of certain loads. Lowboys are widely used in different industries due to their strength in carrying bulky and heavy items. two outstanding features are their stability and safety.
The lowboys have low-lying decks, which enables them to carry bulky loads with great stability. The low center of gravity increases stability when moving cargo loads.
Another feature is the ability to widen the base of support. The width of lowboy trucks can be widened to contain the cargo with enhanced safety. The lowboy trucks can remain stable while traveling regardless of the weight and height of the load.
