Riggers Can Do It: Moving Heavy Machinery

A semi truck can pull an impressive amount of weight, but there is some machinery out there that is too heavy for even a semi truck to handle. If you need to move an awkwardly heavy piece of machinery, then it is time to call in the experts. Trying to move an extremely heavy piece of machinery without the right skills and equipment can lead to equipment failure and/or injury to personnel. For the heaviest moving jobs, you need to call in riggers from a company like Advantage Machinery Services, Inc.

What Is a Rigger?

The term rigger is a carryover from the days of sailing ships. Back then there was a need to move heavy boxes and containers from a ship's cargo hold to a dock. Riggers devised equipment and tools to meet this need. Shipping yards still face the need to move containers on and of of ships, and many of the same tools, skills, and equipment used to move containers around shipping yards are used to move heavy machinery on land. 

How Do You Become a Rigger?

Learning to be a rigger is not something you can pick up at a university. Instead, people who want to learn to be riggers must complete an apprenticeship. Riggers have to know how to secure loads with tie downs, how to attach webbing and chains so that a piece of machinery can be moved with a crane, how to work with a team to move a piece of equipment, and so on. Gaining the skills required to be a rigger can take several years, and before you can be a full-fledged rigger, you must past a rigorous test. 

How Can Riggers Help with Moving Heavy Equipment?

If you have a large piece of machinery that cannot be transported with a normal semi truck, then it is time to call in riggers. A team of riggers will have heavy-duty cranes, trucks, and other equipment that they can use to lift and/or transport loads that would exceed the weight limits of other equipment on the road. The right equipment is only part of the challenge. Riggers also have to be able to devise and execute a plan for a move. Communication is huge for riggers, especially if you have two or more crane operators operating in unison to move a piece of equipment. 

As industry grows and adapts to meet new challenges, there is a need for extremely heavy pieces of machinery. Thus, there will likely continue to be a need for riggers at least for the near future. 

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