June 10, 2021
11 Critical Safety Measures for Transporting Ver-Mac Equipment
With the construction season underway, Ver-Mac units can travel hundreds of miles to and from work sites each day. Our machines are durable and built for the road, but there are key security and maintenance protocols you must observe when transporting Ver-Mac equipment, to avoid accidents and dangerous malfunctioning.
Always respect the following 11 safety measures when preparing to take your Ver-Mac equipment on the road:
1. Ensure the power is off. Visually inspect the unit, making sure that all nuts are present, and everything is bolted securely.
- Make certain there are no loose parts, tools, or debris on the unit, including snow or ice on the solar panel.
- If using a unit with a hydraulic pump, check that there is no hydraulic fluid leaking from the unit.
2. Always test your equipment to make sure it is functioning properly before transporting it to the job site.
3. Ensure that the battery is state on all units is at 100%.
4. Inspect the tires to be sure they have adequate pressure and are not bald or overly worn. If the tire rims move from side to side,
do not transport the unit. Inspect the tire lug nuts and/or axel bearings.
- Maintain the hub by regularly greasing the bearings at least every 9,000 km. For units like the AFAD which regularly travel more than 200 km/day, you must inspect the bearings more often due to the additional stress on the axle.
5. If using axel brakes, check the functioning of all brakes (hydraulic, electric, manual).
- Inspect the unit for leaking brake fluid.
6. Verify the integrity of the coupler. Be sure that the coupler is correctly adjusted to the vehicle, and that the trailer hitch is of adequate size and height to prevent the trailer from detaching
en route.
- To test, use the jacks to raise the coupler and make sure it doesn’t disengage. If your trailer has a wheel jack, we recommend using it to perform this test instead.
7. Make certain that the security chains are in good condition and firmly attached to the trailer, crossed and with the hook closed. The chains should never drag on the ground.
- Trailer chains should always be hooked in bottom-up rather than bottom-down, to prevent risk of the hooks disconnecting.
8. Perform a final walk-around check. Inspect the brake and signal lights. Ensure that the solar panel, sign case, control box and/or battery boxes are closed, locked and properly fixed to the unit. All jacks, telespar and outriggers should be retracted and locked in. The lighting cable should be securely connected to the vehicle.
- Visually inspect the stealth battery box installation beneath the plastic battery box, making sure there is no physical damage or signs of wear and tear.
9. If towing more than one trailer, refer to the tandem towing instructions in the operating and service manual, as well as all local state and provincial guidelines.
Never tow more than two trailers with a single vehicle.
- We strongly discourage backing up while towing more than one trailer. If it cannot be avoided, exercise extreme caution.
10. Ver-Mac equipment must always be in transport position while on the road, resting on the sign stands with all pins engaged, cylinders retracted, and nothing protruding from the unit.
11. Only tow Ver-Mac trailers with an adequate towing-class vehicle. Always respect the trailer’s maximum rated speed of 90 km/hour, which is displayed on the trailer.
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