Getting hire gear delivered to a Latrobe Valley job site

We deliver plant from our Sale yard (8 Dawson St) to job sites across the Latrobe Valley, including Traralgon, Morwell, Moe and Churchill. To book, we need five things: the site address, the date you need the machine on the ground, truck access, ground conditions, and who will receive it.

Get those right and the machine turns up ready to work. Get one wrong and a float sits at a locked gate while your crew waits. This guide covers what each detail is for, which gear travels on its own trailer, and what you need sorted before anyone digs.

What do we need to know to book a delivery?

Give us the five details below when you book, and delivery is arranged at the same time as the hire. The more specific you are, the less chance of a wasted trip.

1. The site address, plus how to find the drop point. Industrial estates around Morwell and new subdivisions on the edge of Traralgon often have several gates or no street numbers yet. A pin or a nearest cross street saves a phone call from the cab.
2. The date and time you need it on the ground. Tell us when the machine has to be working, not just the day. If the civil stage finishes Thursday afternoon and the next stage starts Friday at 7am, say so.
3. Access for a truck. Gate width, overhead powerlines, low trees, tight turns, and whether a prime mover and trailer can pull in and leave forwards.
4. Ground conditions. Soft verges, a wet paddock, a new driveway you don't want cracked, or a slope where the machine will be unloaded.
5. Who receives it. A name and mobile for the person on site, plus any induction or sign-in the site needs before a truck can enter.

Which gear comes on its own trailer and which needs our float?

Smaller plant comes on its own plant trailer, which can be towed to site or picked up. Larger machines need transport, and we move them on our float: a UD GW 26-74 prime mover pulling a 45 ft StoneStar drop deck widener rated to 45 t ATM.

The Nifty 120T boom lift is trailer mounted, so it can be picked up or delivered. Not sure between a boom and a scissor? Our boom lift vs scissor lift guide covers it. Unsure which excavator you need? Start with what size excavator do I need.

How do you get a float onto a tight site?

Plan for the full length of a prime mover and a 45 ft trailer, plus room to drop the ramps and walk the machine off. The best drop point is firm, close to level and clear of anything overhead.

• Clear the unloading zone before the truck arrives: utes, skip bins, pallets of blocks and stockpiles all end up where the float wants to park.
• Look up. Note powerlines and tree limbs over the drop point and the route in, and tell us about them when you book.
• Watch the verges after rain. Latrobe Valley clay holds water, and a soft nature strip will take a loaded float. If the street is the only option, tell us and we'll plan for it.
• Tell us about site rules. Many industrial and civil sites around Morwell need an induction, a sign-in or set delivery windows. Tell us first and the truck won't be held at the gate.
• Unlock the gate and keep the contact's phone on. It sounds obvious, and it's the most common hold-up on any delivery.

Can you pick up the gear yourself instead?

Yes, for smaller plant that comes on its own trailer, if your vehicle can tow it. Pick up is from the yard at 8 Dawson St, Sale. We're open 7am to 5pm, seven days, and pick-ups and drop-offs outside that can be arranged around your site hours.

Check your tow vehicle before you come. A Victorian car licence covers a single trailer up to 9 tonnes GVM or the vehicle maker's towing limit, whichever is less, so the ute's towing rating and tow ball rating are the real limits. Ask us the loaded trailer weight when you book so you know before you hitch up.

What do you need to do before you dig?

Lodge a Before You Dig Australia enquiry before any machine breaks ground. It's free to lodge, and asset owners are asked to respond within 2 business days, so do it before you book the delivery date, not the morning the excavator arrives.

• Plans are indicative only. Before You Dig Australia says the plans show where assets are, not their exact depth or alignment. Where the asset owner says to, expose services by hand before you dig with a machine.
• Plans expire. The expiry date is on each plan pack. If the job slips, lodge again so the plans on site are current.
• Keep clear of no go zones. WorkSafe Victoria and Energy Safe Victoria publish a guide to working near underground services that sets out safe distances around gas, electricity, water and telecommunications.
• Deeper than 1.5 m is a different job. In Victoria, a trench deeper than 1.5 m is high risk construction work needing a safe work method statement, and unless it's part of permitted building work you must notify WorkSafe at least three days before excavating.

How far ahead should you book?

As early as you know the date, because the float can only be in one place at a time. That said, the fleet moves daily, so if the machine you want looks booked out, ask anyway. We answer enquiries the same day, most within the hour.

When plans change mid-job, which they do, tell us as soon as you know. Moving a delivery a day is easy with notice. Hours that work around the job site are part of how we run, and that includes pick-ups when the job actually finishes rather than on a date set weeks ago.

What happens if something goes wrong on site?

Call the yard and we sort it. Every machine goes out with a full tank, serviced and checked since its last hire, along with a risk assessment and the operator's manual. If it breaks down, a breakdown costs you the day, not the hire rate.

We cover Traralgon and Morwell, and the rest of Gippsland, from the one Sale yard. See our pages for equipment hire in Traralgon and plant hire in Morwell, or the full list of areas we service.

Common questions

Do you deliver to Moe and Churchill?

Yes. We deliver across Gippsland from our Sale yard, and that includes Moe, Churchill, Traralgon and Morwell. Give us the site address and the date you need the gear on the ground and delivery is arranged when you book.

How much does delivery to Traralgon or Morwell cost?

It depends on the machine and whether it travels on its own trailer or on our float. Ask for delivery to be included when you request the hire quote, so you're comparing the full cost of having the machine working on site.

Can you deliver on a weekend?

We're open 7am to 5pm, seven days, and pick-ups and drop-offs can be arranged around your site hours. Tell us the time the machine has to be working and we'll work back from that.

Do I need someone on site when the machine arrives?

Plan on it. Give us a name and mobile for whoever receives the gear, and tell us about any induction, sign-in or locked gate. A contact on the phone is what stops a float waiting outside the site.

Do I need Before You Dig plans just for post holes?

Yes. Before You Dig Australia says anyone working around underground infrastructure should lodge a free enquiry first, and that includes augering. Asset owners are asked to respond within 2 business days, so lodge it before the auger arrives.

Can I tow the smaller gear myself?

Yes, for plant that comes on its own trailer, such as the 1.2 t, 1.8 t and 2.6 t excavators, the Kanga mini loader and the twin drum roller. Your vehicle must be rated for the loaded trailer. Pick up is from 8 Dawson St, Sale.

Send us the site address, the date you need the gear on the ground and a line about access, and we'll sort the rest. Check availability