Machinery transportation moves heavy equipment — skid steers, forklifts, generators, and similar job-site gear — between locations or off a breakdown, using trailers rated for the load instead of a standard tow rig. Detroit Towing handles these moves across the 20 service areas it runs in and around Detroit, matching the trailer to the equipment's weight and footprint before the truck leaves.
The failure point in most machinery moves isn't the truck, it's the tie-down. A bucket left unlocked, chains rated for the wrong weight class, a hydraulic arm that isn't pinned for travel — any of those can let a load shift on the trailer bed, and that's a liability problem before it's ever a mechanical one. Detroit Towing rigs the load to the equipment rather than the other way around: binders sized for the actual weight, hydraulics secured in the travel position, and a trailer deck matched to the footprint before anything moves.
A breakdown on a job site is a different call than a scheduled move. A skid steer that won't start in the middle of a lot gets a truck dispatched the same way a stalled car would, except the equipment decides what shows up — a standard tow truck isn't built to lift machinery by a frame that was never designed for a hook. Detroit Towing, headquartered at 17654 Woodbine St, stages its low-boy trailers there between calls so the right one is already loaded and ready to move.
What actually goes wrong when equipment is rigged incorrectly?
A load that shifts in transit almost always traces back to one of a few things going in wrong: the chain rating for the weight, a bucket or arm left free to swing, or a trailer deck rated below what's actually sitting on it. None of those show up until the truck is already moving, which is exactly why they get checked before it does.
- an unlocked bucket or attachment
- chains or binders rated for a lighter class of equipment
- a hydraulic arm that isn't pinned down for travel
- a trailer deck under-rated for the actual weight on it
Can non-running equipment still be transported?
Yes — non-running machinery gets winched onto the trailer the same way a non-running vehicle would, using ramps or a dovetail deck rated for the weight. It doesn't need to start, and it doesn't need to be driveable onto the trailer under its own power.
What sets the price on a machinery move?
Distance, equipment weight, and how complex the rigging is set the cost — a short move across one job site prices differently than a haul to another county. Detroit Towing quotes machinery jobs individually rather than off a flat rate, since no two pieces of equipment load the same way.
Do you take equipment that won't start?
Yes. A winch and ramps do the work instead of the engine, the same approach used for a non-running vehicle — the machine doesn't need to move under its own power to get loaded.
What kind of equipment do you transport?
Skid steers, forklifts, generators, and similar job-site machinery are the most common calls. Describe the equipment's weight and dimensions when you call so Detroit Towing can match the trailer before the truck leaves the yard.