Often found in construction and facility maintenance applications, scissor lifts are made to elevate workers together with their tools up to heights from 5.9 to 17.9 m. These self-propelled machines are named after their core mechanism which works much like a scissor when you lower and raise the platform. Also known as slab scissors, scissor lifts are intended to be used on concrete slab surfaces and depending on the model they can access job sites through single or double doors. Although scissor lifts come with solid non-marking tires sometimes they need a ride to another job site due to their slow travelling speed. For this, you need a scissor lift trailer.
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What are Scissor Lift Trailers
These type of trailers are made to transport and accommodate scissor lifts and similar machinery too. Although they look like any trailer out there their space is just enough to keep a scissor lift in place whilst towing it. With a scissor lift on trailer made for it, you can rest assured the machinery will stay on it for as long as you need it to. Scissor lift trailers often come with ramps that make it easier to load and unload a scissor lift.
How to Tow a Scissor Lift
Prepare
Before you put a scissor lift on trailer you need to prepare the transport vehicle for the road. This entails chocking the wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling, inspecting the air pressure and checking if it needs to be filled with petrol or not. The trailer needs to be prepped too such as putting a nose jack under the front if it isn’t already hooked up to a truck. This will prevent the trailer from tipping when loading the lift.
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Loading & Unloading
To load the scissor lift set up the ramps of the trailer and then drive the lift slowly up the ramps until it touches the bar at the front of the trailer. Secure the lift with chains and straps tot eh trailer and put up the ramps in their upward position and you’re good to go.
To unload the scissor lift put the ramps down on the ground and remove the straps and chains holding the lift in place. Then hop in it and slowly drive backwards down the ramps and to the jobs site where it’s going to be used.
Secure & Chock
To secure the machine as best as possible you need to attach the straps or chains to the edges of the trailer. Ideally, there should be four anchors, one at each corner of the scissor lift. To choke the lift centre it from side to side on the trailer and place wooden blocks behind each wheel. Secure the blocks in place with 10 cm screws with the blocks being firmly pressed against the wheels. You should also consider shutting off the scissor lift’s fuel supply and disconnecting the battery terminal too.
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Driving Tips
Whilst driving you need to be aware of the size of the trailer and the weight of the load too as they will affect your driving. Ensure that the trailer is properly attached by checking the safety chains and lights as well as the license plate. You should keep a greater distance than usual between you and the vehicle in front of you as you’ll need to apply the brake and gas pedal ahead of time. Doing this will give you enough time to respond to ongoing traffic and avoid accidents.
For driving in reverse with a trailer at the back you’ll want to practise beforehand. This is a skill that takes time to master as turning in too sharp the trailer will jackknife. Take your time so that you don’t make a mistake with the scissor lift loaded on the back. To make things easier when it comes to seeing what’s behind you get yourself some towing mirrors too. Also known as extended mirrors these give you a wider field of view.
When driving on the open take it slow as you don’t know when you’ll need to switch lanes or stop. It’s best that you drive a little it below the speed limit to ensure a safe trip. This will also prevent trailer sway which can occur when you put cargo at the back of the trailer and not the rear (this is why you place the lift near the front bar of the trailer).
Focus on what’s going on in front of you rather than what’s playing on the radio. This way it’ll be a lot easier to interpret what’s going to happen and what you need to do to make your ride as smooth as possible. Of course, this doesn’t go for bumpy roads. Make sure you don’t make any sudden turns and gear changes as this can make it more difficult to control the trailer and truck.
Parking can be a bit difficult with a trailer at the back which is why when entering a parking lot make sure you also have space to manoeuvre out of it safely. It is best that you park in a remote part of a parking lot, where you don’t have a lot of surrounding vehicles.
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