Lowboys

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Lowboys
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What are Lowboys?

• Many of you may not know what lowboys are.
• You are probably thinking as I did and thought
  they were somehow related to cowboys.
• There is a common misconception between lowboys
  and cowboys, however, there is no relation what
  so ever!

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Lowboys
Lowboy
Cowboy
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Lowboys

• Lowboys are a type of flatbed trailer in which
  the load floor is closer to the ground than
  normal trailers.
• They are most commonly used to haul heavy
  equipment like cranes and bulldozers and
  industrial equipment.

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Lowboys

• Designed for loading and unloading under field
  conditions.
• The large trucks that pull these trailers are
  equipped with heavy-duty winches to assist in
  loading.
• Caution should be exercised when dealing with
  heavy equipment to prevent injury.

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Lowboys

• Caution should also be exercised when attaching
  (booming) of equipment to the trailer to
  prevent accidents. 
• Special hauling permits may be required,
  especially for oversized loads.

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Lowboys

• There are two basic types.

Front Loading
Rear Loading
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Front Loading

• Some have hydraulic detachable goosenecks.
• Most goosenecks fold down or detach from the
  trailer bed to facilitate loading and unloading.

• The gooseneck is then repositioned and locked in
  place for transport.

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Rear Loading

• Fixed neck design with ramps for rear loading.
• Ramps fold up during transport.

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What makes Lowboys Dangerous

• Pinch Points
• Crushing/Struck by
• Hazards

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Pinch Points

• Hooking up

• Loading/Strapping

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Crushing/Struck By

• Loading/Unloading Equipment

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Deaths Involving Lowboys

• From 1991 to 2004 there have been 37 total
  recorded death while operating/using a lowboy.

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Actual Accidents

• An employee was driving a truck and attempted to
  turn into a dirt driveway with a lowboy trailer
  loaded with two dozers. The driveway was muddy
  and slippery and the left rear trailer tires
  slipped into a ditch because the turn was made
  too short. In order to get the trailer out, he
  decided to drive the dozers over the side of the
  trailer. From the now leaning trailer, he
  released the binder securing the dozers from the
  low side of the trailer. They slipped off the
  side of the trailer, and the blade of one caught
  and crushed him against a dirt bank. A large
  front end loader was brought to the site to lift
  the dozer off him. By this time an ambulance had
  arrived and taken him to the hospital, where he
  later died.

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What Could Have Been Done to Prevent this Death

• First of all, you should always load and unload
  on level ground.
• You should also never load or unload from the
  side of the trailer, only the front or back.

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Actual Accidents

• On September 14th 2006, a man had just finished
  working with a bulldozer preparing land for new
  home construction. He was inside the bulldozer
  and was readying to leave the site when the
  incident occurred. The man was attempting to load
  the bulldozer onto a "lowboy" trailer when the
  equipment fell on top of him. Officials said the
  ground was soft due to recent rains, and while he
  was operating the dozer, it slid off of the
  trailer, flipped over, and pinned him underneath.
  Neighbors attached several pickup trucks to the
  bulldozer to pull the equipment off of the man.
  The victim was rushed to the hospital, where he
  was pronounced dead due to massive chest injuries.

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What Could Have Been Done to Prevent this Death

• Again make sure it is level ground.
• Also make sure the ground that the lowboy is set
  on is a solid surface, solid enough to support
  the load being loaded up.

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Other Lowboy Precautions

• When loading and unloaded, be aware of personnel
  in the area.
• Make sure the load is centered on the lowboy.
• Never load equipment from the side.
• If loading/unloading on or near a highway, place
  adequate warnings to alert motorist.

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Continued

• Always secure the load, even if it is not being
  transported very far.
• Make sure that the brakes are properly adjusted
  on the truck and on the lowboy.
• Never load or unload near power lines.

• Always use common sense.

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Questions