Hydraulic Gantry Systems & Jack-and-Slide Transport

Hydraulic Gantry and Jack-and-Slide Transport Services

Hydraulic gantry systems and jack-and-slide equipment are purpose-built industrial lifting and translation tools used to position, install, and remove extremely heavy loads — reactor vessels, stator windings, large compressor trains, turbine generators, and prefabricated process modules — in locations that overhead cranes cannot reach or where the load exceeds mobile crane capacity. These systems are the specialty tools of industrial rigging contractors, and they travel to projects across the country in support of refinery turnarounds, power plant outages, and large industrial construction programs.

R&RM LLC has transported hydraulic gantry systems, jacking frames, slide track assemblies, and related rigging equipment across all 48 continental states since 2011. Whether the shipment is a single four-leg gantry system moving to a refinery turnaround in Texas or a full jack-and-slide system with multiple track sections relocating between petrochemical facilities in the Gulf Coast and Midwest, we handle the trailer selection, oversize and overweight permits, and safe delivery.

Types of Hydraulic Gantry and Jacking Equipment We Transport

Hydraulic Gantry Lifting Systems

Hydraulic gantry systems consist of two or more lifting towers — typically four — connected by overhead cross beams and driven by synchronized hydraulic cylinders. The entire system is transported disassembled: tower legs, cross beams, hydraulic power units (HPUs), control manifolds, and base plates ship as separate pieces on flatbed or step deck trailers. The largest gantry systems — capable of lifting 2,000 to 4,000 tons — have tower legs that are 30 to 60 feet tall when assembled and weigh 10,000 to 30,000 pounds each as individual transport pieces. Four-leg systems from manufacturers including Enerpac, Mammoet, Lift Systems, and Barnhart Equipment may require two or more truckloads per system.

Transport of gantry tower legs generally falls within legal freight dimensions for most pieces, but the HPU skids — hydraulic power units with large reservoir tanks, pump assemblies, and control cabinets mounted on a common skid frame — may be 8 to 12 feet wide and require an oversize permit for width. Long cross beams for wide-span gantry systems may require an oversize permit for length on certain routes. R&RM LLC assesses each piece's dimensions before planning the trailer configuration and permit package.

Jack-and-Slide Systems

Jack-and-slide systems combine vertical lifting jacks with horizontal slide tracks to move heavy loads both vertically and horizontally — enabling precise final positioning of equipment that must be slid into place on a foundation, base frame, or process deck. The slide track sections — typically made from heavy steel I-beam or box section with Teflon or PTFE slide surfaces — are the most common transport challenge in this equipment category. Track sections are often 40 to 60 feet long and may require an oversize permit for length. The jacking towers themselves are generally compact and transport within legal limits.

A full jack-and-slide system for a large reactor vessel or turbine-generator installation may include dozens of track sections, multiple jacking towers, push cylinders, hydraulic hose bundles, and control system components. Coordinating the transport of a full system often requires two or more truckloads and careful loading sequencing so that track sections arrive in the order needed for assembly at the project site.

Synchronized Jacking Frames and Strand Jack Systems

Synchronized multi-point jacking frames — systems that distribute a heavy load across four, six, or eight jack points operating simultaneously under computer control — are used for precision lifting of bridge girders, building frames, industrial vessels, and large structural assemblies where an even, controlled lift is critical. The jacking frames themselves are typically transported on flatbeds, with the most transport-intensive component being the hydraulic power unit and control system skid. Strand jack towers — which use bundles of high-strength steel strands rather than hydraulic cylinders for the primary lifting force — can be 20 to 50 feet tall and require careful loading to avoid overloading single axles.

Hydraulic Power Units (HPUs) for Gantry and Jacking Systems

The hydraulic power units that drive gantry and jack-and-slide systems are self-contained skid packages — diesel or electric motor-driven hydraulic pumps, reservoir tanks, filtration systems, and electronic control panels on a common steel base frame. These HPU skids typically weigh 5,000 to 25,000 pounds and range in dimensions from a manageable 6 by 10 foot footprint to large multi-pump skids 8 to 12 feet wide and 20 to 30 feet long. Width is the most common dimension trigger for oversize permits on HPU transport; large dual-pump reservoir skids at 10 to 12 feet wide require oversize permits in all states. Weight on multi-pump HPU skids may also trigger overweight permits depending on the trailer configuration.

Manufacturers We Regularly Transport

Enerpac

Enerpac (now part of Enerpac Tool Group, formerly Actuant) manufactures hydraulic gantry systems widely used in North American petrochemical, power, and industrial construction. The Enerpac SL Series and SBL Series gantries are among the most common hydraulic gantry systems in use on the Gulf Coast and Southeast industrial corridor. R&RM LLC's geographic base in Cumming, Georgia positions us well for gantry transport moves to and from the Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida refinery and petrochemical clusters.

Lift Systems

Lift Systems (Portage, Indiana) manufactures custom hydraulic gantry systems and strand jack towers for the North American industrial market. Lift Systems gantries and jacking equipment are deployed on major refinery turnarounds, bridge projects, and industrial construction across the US. We transport Lift Systems equipment between project sites, to storage yards, and from the manufacturer's Indiana facility to project locations nationwide.

Mammoet and Sarens Equipment

International heavy lift contractors Mammoet and Sarens operate hydraulic gantry and jack-and-slide systems at major industrial projects across the US. When these contractors mobilize to or demobilize from a project, their gantry and jacking equipment often moves by highway transport using contracted carriers. R&RM LLC provides highway transport for rigging contractor equipment moves of this type.

Barnhart Equipment

Barnhart Crane and Rigging — headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, with operations across the Southeast and South Central US — is one of the most active heavy lift contractors in R&RM LLC's primary service region. Barnhart's gantry and jacking equipment frequently moves between facilities in Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas — routes that align directly with our strongest coverage area.

BrandSafway, Rigging International, and Others

Hydraulic gantry and jacking systems from BrandSafway, Rigging International Contractors, TNT Crane & Rigging, and independent rigging operations are also within our transport experience. We transport this equipment regardless of brand. If you have hydraulic gantry or jack-and-slide components that need to move, call us to discuss the configuration and we will provide a quote.

Transport Methods

Flatbed Trailer

Standard 48- or 53-foot flatbed trailers are the most common transport method for gantry tower legs, jacking frames, slide track sections, and other gantry system components that are within legal weight and dimension limits. Tower legs transported horizontally on a flatbed are often within legal height and width — the challenge is typically length for tall towers laid flat, which may trigger an oversize permit for loads over 53 feet. Most hydraulic gantry components transport efficiently on flatbeds without height-related issues.

Step Deck (Drop Deck) Trailer

Step deck trailers are useful for HPU skids and base plates where the component height on a standard flatbed would exceed legal limits. The lower front deck and dropped rear deck on a step deck provide additional height clearance without moving to a full lowboy configuration. Many HPU skids that would be borderline on height on a flatbed transport comfortably on a step deck.

Lowboy and RGN Trailer

Heavy HPU skids, large gantry base structures, and any system component that exceeds step deck capacity in either weight or height moves on a lowboy or RGN trailer. Multi-axle lowboys — particularly 13-axle and 19-axle configurations — provide the payload capacity for the heaviest gantry base frames while distributing weight to stay within individual axle limits. RGN trailers are useful for drive-on loading of any wheeled or skid-mounted gantry components that can roll or be forked onto the trailer's low main deck.

Extendable Flatbed and Extendable Step Deck

Long gantry cross beams and extended slide track sections that exceed 53 feet are transported on extendable flatbed or extendable step deck trailers, which can extend to 80 feet or more for legal freight that exceeds standard trailer length. Extendable trailers carry oversize permits for length on most routes but avoid the width and height restrictions that would apply if the load were carried upright or on a specialized configuration.

Oversize and Overweight Permit Considerations

Hydraulic gantry and jack-and-slide transport moves commonly require oversize permits for width (HPU skids and wide base frames), length (tower legs laid flat, cross beams, slide track sections), or both. Overweight permits are required when the gross vehicle weight exceeds 80,000 pounds or individual axle weights exceed federal or state limits. Key permit triggers:

• Width: HPU skids and gantry base structures over 8 feet 6 inches wide require oversize width permits. Most states define the legal width limit at 8 feet 6 inches for loads on public highways.
• Length: Tower legs over 53 feet when laid flat, and slide track sections over 53 feet, require oversize length permits. Permits for loads over 65 feet in length require additional lead time in most states.
• Height: Components loaded upright or semi-upright that exceed 13 feet 6 inches in overall height (load plus trailer deck height) require oversize height permits. Most gantry components laid flat are well within height limits.
• Weight: HPU skids over 40,000 pounds, heavy gantry base frames, or combinations of gantry components on a single trailer that push gross vehicle weight over 80,000 pounds require overweight permits with state-by-state axle weight analysis.

R&RM LLC handles permit procurement for all gantry system transport moves that require oversize or overweight authorization. See our permit services page for details on how multi-state permit coordination works.

Project Mobilization and Demobilization Logistics

Refinery and Petrochemical Turnarounds

Refinery turnarounds — planned maintenance shutdowns where major process equipment is inspected, repaired, or replaced — are the most frequent trigger for hydraulic gantry transport in R&RM LLC's primary service area. Refineries along the Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana), the Southeast (Georgia, Alabama), and the Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, Pennsylvania) require gantry systems for removing and reinstalling reactor vessels, heat exchangers, and large rotating equipment during turnaround windows. These moves are time-sensitive: the gantry must be on site and ready before the turnaround window opens, and must demobilize promptly after the work is complete to reduce contractor holding costs.

R&RM LLC coordinates refinery gate delivery logistics — including advance coordination with the refinery's trucking coordinator, oversize permit timing to arrive during approved delivery windows, and staging logistics when multiple loads must arrive in a specific sequence. See our petrochemical industry heavy haul guide for more on refinery transport logistics.

Power Plant Outages

Coal, gas, and nuclear power plants use hydraulic gantry systems and strand jacks to remove and reinstall large rotating equipment — turbine-generators, stator windings, boiler components, and feedwater heaters — during planned outage windows. Power plant outage schedules are set years in advance and are non-negotiable: the gantry equipment must arrive on time. We work with outage project managers and rigging contractors to confirm permit lead times, ensure equipment is loaded on schedule, and provide realistic transit time estimates that account for state permit travel windows and crossing restrictions.

Industrial Module Installation

Large prefabricated process modules — petrochemical plant sections, power generation packages, and industrial plant expansions — are often installed using jack-and-slide systems that translate the module into final position on the plant foundation after an overhead crane or transport vehicle delivers it to the installation zone. The jack-and-slide equipment for these installations is typically mobilized by the installation contractor shortly before the module arrives on the heavy haul trailer. Coordinating gantry and jack-and-slide equipment delivery with the module delivery schedule is a logistics task we assist with when both moves are contracted through R&RM LLC.

Coverage and Operating Range

R&RM LLC is based in Cumming, Georgia and serves all 48 continental states. Our primary service region for hydraulic gantry and jack-and-slide moves is the industrial Southeast and Gulf Coast — Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas — which contains the highest concentration of refineries, petrochemical plants, and power generating facilities that regularly use this equipment. We also regularly serve the industrial Midwest and Northeast on gantry moves.

Regional coverage pages for our primary gantry transport markets: Texas heavy haul, Louisiana heavy haul, Georgia heavy haul, and Alabama heavy haul.

Getting a Quote for Hydraulic Gantry Transport

To provide an accurate quote for hydraulic gantry system or jack-and-slide equipment transport, we need the following information:

• System make/model and component list (tower legs, cross beams, HPU, base plates, track sections)
• Dimensions and weight of each major piece (length, width, height, weight)
• Pickup location (city, state, and facility type — yard, project site, or manufacturer)
• Delivery location (city, state, and facility type)
• Required delivery date or project mobilization window
• Loading and unloading equipment available at each end (forklift capacity, crane availability)
• Whether components need to arrive in a specific loading/unloading sequence

With this information we can calculate the trailer requirements, estimate permit processing time, and provide a realistic delivery timeline. Call us at (404) 987-6225 or use the online quote form to get the process started.