You've got the truck and you want to haul iron — excavators, dozers, cranes, ag equipment. The question isn't whether the freight pays. It's how you actually land it consistently and keep the permits and paperwork from eating you alive.

Here's the honest breakdown of what heavy equipment hauling takes and how owner-operators run it profitably.

What heavy equipment hauling actually requires

This isn't dry van work. The freight is heavy, tall, wide, and often oversized. That means you need the right equipment and the discipline to run it safely and legally.

  • The right trailer. Step decks handle mid-height machines. RGN/lowboys drop the deck for tall equipment and let you drive machinery on and off. Flatbeds cover lighter, lower loads.
  • Securement know-how. Chains, binders, and knowing the working load limits cold. DOT scrutinizes heavy equipment loads hard.
  • Permits for oversize/overweight. Wide, tall, or heavy loads need state permits, sometimes escorts and travel-hour restrictions.

None of that is a dealbreaker. But it's why heavy equipment freight pays a premium — fewer trucks can and will run it.

The real problem: getting the loads

A single owner-operator chasing heavy equipment loads on a load board is fighting for scraps against everyone else. The good, steady heavy-haul freight moves through carriers with real shipper relationships and consistent lanes.

That's where the business decision comes in. You can chase your own authority and build those relationships from scratch over years — that path exists in the industry, but it's not fast and it's not what everyone wants.

Or you lease on to a carrier that already has the freight and the authority, and you run under it.

How leasing on gets you the good iron

ARI is a motor carrier, not a broker. When you lease on, you run under ARI's DOT/MC authority — you don't need your own, and you can't run your own with us. What that gets you is access.

Because ARI moves real volume with established shipper and broker relationships, running under our authority opens up better heavy-haul loads than you'd land alone. ARI runs all trailer types — flatbed, step deck, RGN/lowboy, Conestoga — so heavy equipment work is squarely in our wheelhouse.

A few things that matter specifically for heavy haul:

  • A dedicated dispatcher (max 7 trucks each) who knows your lanes and negotiates rates — not a self-dispatch app that leaves you to fend for yourself.
  • No forced dispatch. Heavy loads with tight permit windows aren't always worth it. You choose the loads that work for you.
  • Bring your own freight. Know a construction customer or dealer moving equipment? Tell your dispatcher. ARI runs their credit and books it under our authority if it's approved.

Getting paid without the wait

Heavy equipment runs tie up your truck and your cash — permits, fuel, escorts. Slow pay hurts.

ARI does same-day pay: deliver before noon EST and submit your paperwork, and you're paid the same business day, with no quick-pay or factoring fees. Compare that to the 3–5% many carriers skim off quick-pay. There's also zero escrow — ARI holds $0, while some carriers tie up $2,500–$5,000 of your money.

On the split, you keep 82% of gross linehaul. The 18% covers dispatch, compliance, and billing. On premium heavy-haul rates, that share adds up fast. A 40% fuel advance at pickup and fuel discounts up to $0.45/gallon help you cover the run before you deliver.

Is this the right move for you?

If you own a step deck or RGN, have the securement skills, and want to run heavy equipment without building shipper relationships from zero, leasing on is the fast path to steady freight.

Take a look at the current owner-operator jobs and what running heavy haul under ARI looks like. When you're ready, start your lease-on and get your dispatcher working your lanes. Questions? Call (888) 600-9098.