Heavy Equipment Transport in Northern California: Who to Call

Moving a skid steer, excavator, or tractor in Northern California requires the right trailer, the right tie-downs, and experience on mountain roads. Here's what to look for and what the process involves.

Heavy Equipment Moves Require the Right Operator

Moving a skid steer, mini excavator, bulldozer, or compactor is not the same as moving a car. The weight, dimensions, loading requirements, and road regulations that apply to heavy equipment transport in Northern California require experience and the right equipment — both of which are in short supply if you're calling a standard tow company.

Franks & Son provides heavy equipment transport in Northern California for contractors, construction companies, and property owners who need machinery moved from one job site to another, to a repair facility, or out of a storage yard.

Types of Equipment We Transport

• Skid steers and compact track loaders
• Mini excavators and mid-size excavators
• Backhoe loaders
• Compactors and rollers
• Forklifts — telehandlers and counterbalance forklifts
• Large generators and equipment trailers
• Agricultural equipment — tractors, implements, and harvest equipment
• Construction trailers and job site equipment

Why Not Every Tow Company Can Handle Heavy Equipment

Heavy equipment transport requires a flatbed or lowboy trailer rated for the load, proper tie-down equipment (chains, binders, and edge protectors), and a driver with experience loading and securing machinery that doesn't always cooperate. A skid steer that's out of fuel or has a hydraulic failure can't be driven onto a trailer — it needs to be winched or otherwise loaded without its own power.

California also has specific oversize and overweight permit requirements for loads that exceed standard trailer ratings. Equipment haulers need to know when a load requires a permit, what routes are approved, and when escorts are required.

How Equipment Transport Is Priced

Heavy equipment transport is quoted based on a few factors: the type and weight of the equipment, the distance from pickup to delivery, and any access challenges at either location. Job sites with soft ground, steep grades, or narrow access roads may require specific equipment or additional time.

• Give us the equipment type, dimensions, and approximate weight when you call
• Describe the pickup and delivery locations — access challenges matter
• Let us know if the equipment runs under its own power or needs to be winched
• Multi-piece moves (multiple units in one trip) may be more cost-effective — ask
• Standing delivery arrangements for contractors with regular transport needs are available

Northern California Job Site Access

Job sites throughout Shasta County, Tehama County, and surrounding Northern California regions often have access conditions that complicate equipment delivery — narrow ranch roads, soft shoulders, low-clearance bridges, and remote sites that are difficult to navigate with a long flatbed. We know these routes and ask the right questions before committing to a pickup.

For remote or unusual delivery locations, an advance site assessment may be warranted. We'd rather take that extra step before the move than arrive and be turned back with your equipment on the trailer. Our equipment transport service covers all of Northern California with experience on the mountain roads and rural terrain that less experienced operators won't attempt.

Franks & Son Transportation

Redding, CA

Share