What Are Prefabricated Process Modules?
Prefabricated process modules — also called skid-mounted equipment, modular process units, or prefab skids — are industrial systems built on a structural steel base frame in a fabrication shop, then transported as complete assemblies to an end-use site. Rather than constructing equipment in the field piece by piece, owners and EPC contractors modularize as much of a plant or facility as possible, transporting finished skids by truck to the site and setting them in place with cranes.
The advantages of modularization — faster project schedules, better quality control in a shop environment, reduced field labor in remote locations, and repeatable builds — have driven strong adoption in oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, water treatment, and mining. R&RM LLC has been transporting prefabricated modules and skid packages for industrial projects across all 48 continental states since 2011. We handle everything from a single instrumentation building to multi-load modular plant projects with coordinated delivery sequences.
Types of Process Modules We Transport
Oil & Gas Skid Packages
The oil and gas industry is the largest user of modular skid packages. We transport all types of oil and gas skids, including:
- Wellhead production skids: separation vessels, produced water handling modules, gas dehydration units, and glycol regen skids built on structural steel frames and shipped to well sites
- Gas compression skids: reciprocating and centrifugal compressor packages built on heavy structural frames with integrally mounted lube oil systems, coolers, and control panels
- Metering skids: fiscal metering and allocation measurement packages for custody transfer at gathering, transmission, and LNG facilities
- Chemical injection skids: glycol injection, corrosion inhibitor, scale inhibitor, and biocide injection systems mounted on compact skids for remote pipeline locations
- Gas processing modules: amine treating units, molecular sieve dehydration modules, NGL extraction skids, and fractionation train sections
- Frac water management skids: transfer pumping packages, sand handling systems, and produced water treatment modules for Permian, Appalachian, and Haynesville operations
See our page on compressor packages and gas compression equipment for additional detail on large standalone compressor unit transport.
Chemical & Petrochemical Process Modules
Refineries, chemical plants, and specialty chemical facilities increasingly use modular construction for debottlenecking, capacity expansion, and grassroots plant projects. We transport:
- Reactor modules: fixed-bed, continuous stirred tank, and plug flow reactor systems skid-mounted with associated piping, instrumentation, and heat exchanger packages
- Distillation column modules: packed and trayed column sections with associated reboiler, condenser, and reflux drum packages
- Heat exchanger modules: shell-and-tube, plate-and-frame, and fin-fan cooler sections with header piping and structural steel support integrated on a common skid
- Solvent extraction skids: liquid-liquid extraction, scrubbing, and absorption column packages for specialty chemical and mining leach operations
- Batch process modules: pharmaceutical API synthesis, food ingredient processing, and fine chemical production skids with clean-in-place and contained handling
Power Generation Packages
We transport generator packages, switchgear buildings, and auxiliary power system modules for utilities, industrial facilities, and remote installations:
- Genset packages: diesel and natural gas generator sets from 500 kW to 5 MW skid-mounted with radiator, exhaust, fuel day tanks, and control panels
- Gas turbine generator packages: Caterpillar Solar Turbines, Solar Taurus, and Titan frame turbine-generator packages on heavy structural skids, often exceeding standard legal limits in width and height
- E-houses and MCC buildings: prefabricated electrical buildings containing medium-voltage switchgear, motor control centers, variable frequency drives, and transformer bays for industrial sites and remote field locations
- Transformer packages: unit auxiliary and service transformer assemblies mounted on structural steel rails for substation and switchyard construction
For large standalone transformer transport, see our pages on transformers and industrial power equipment and electrical switchgear and substation equipment.
Water Treatment & Environmental Modules
Municipal utilities, industrial water users, and mine site operators use modular water treatment systems that can be prefabricated off-site and deployed rapidly. We transport:
- Reverse osmosis skids: brackish water and seawater RO systems with feed pumps, membrane racks, product storage, and control panels mounted on a structural frame
- Ultrafiltration modules: membrane filtration systems for drinking water, process water, and wastewater reuse applications
- DAF systems: dissolved air flotation units for clarification and separation in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment
- Chemical dosing buildings: prefabricated chemical storage and dosing system enclosures for coagulants, disinfectants, pH control, and corrosion inhibitors
- MBBR and MBR packages: moving bed biofilm reactor and membrane bioreactor systems for wastewater treatment expansion without plant shutdown
Instrumentation & Control Buildings
Modular control buildings, analyzer shelters, and instrument enclosures are among the most common prefab modules transported by highway. These skids typically travel within legal width limits but may exceed legal weight depending on installed equipment. We transport all types:
- Central control room buildings for pipeline compressor stations and pump stations
- Remote terminal unit (RTU) and SCADA equipment enclosures for pipeline monitoring
- Analyzer houses and sample conditioning shelters for refinery process control
- Safety system buildings housing fire and gas detection panels and emergency shutdown systems
- Telecommunications shelters and data acquisition huts for remote field locations
Transport Methods for Process Modules
RGN and Multi-Axle Lowboy Trailers
Most process modules are transported on removable gooseneck (RGN) trailers or multi-axle lowboy trailers. RGN trailers allow the module to be driven or craned directly onto the deck, and the low deck height minimizes the overall load height for tall modules. Multi-axle lowboys with three to seven axle groups spread the weight for heavy skids and allow transport within highway weight limits where possible.
Extendable Trailers for Long Modules
Process modules are often long — gas turbine generator packages may reach 50 to 80 feet in overall length, and modular plant sections can extend beyond 100 feet. We use extendable flatbed and extendable RGN trailers for long modules, with appropriate oversize permits and routing to accommodate the reduced turning radius and overhang constraints of extended load configurations.
Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT) for Very Large Modules
The largest process modules — offshore platform topsides sections, large refinery module trains, and full modular plant skids — exceed the practical limits of wheeled trailer configurations. For these loads, we coordinate SPMT transport. Self-propelled modular transporters use hydraulic axle lines that can be configured in any width and length and are steerable in all directions, allowing enormous loads to be moved through tight site paths and onto ship or barge for coastal delivery. See our SPMT transport page for more detail.
Oversize Permits for Process Modules
Most process modules exceed at least one legal highway limit — often weight due to heavy process equipment and dense steel structure, sometimes width for wide modules, and occasionally height for tall skids with vertical vessels or fin-fan coolers. Each state on the delivery route must issue a separate oversize permit specifying the allowed route, travel hours, and escort requirements.
R&RM LLC handles all permit applications for process module moves. Our experience with modular project transport means we know which corridors handle wide loads most efficiently and where weight-restricted bridges require detours for heavier skids. We provide permit lead time estimates at the quoting stage so project managers can schedule load-out dates accurately.
For complex multi-state modular projects with multiple loads, we coordinate permit timing across all loads so the delivery sequence can proceed without permit delays between lifts. See our guide on multi-state oversize permit coordination for an overview of how we manage permit logistics for large projects.
Fabrication Shop to Site: The Full Transport Process
Process module transport involves coordination that extends beyond the truck and trailer. We work with project teams and fabrication shops throughout the transport process:
- Pre-transport review: confirming module dimensions and weight against the engineer's data sheet before permits are pulled, to catch dimension changes before load-out
- Load-out logistics: working with the fab shop on crane positioning, trailer staging, and overhead clearances within the yard for smooth, safe module loading
- Route survey coordination: for unusually wide or tall modules, pre-driving the route to identify low-clearance utilities, bridge approaches, and restricted intersections before the load moves
- Delivery sequencing: for multi-load projects, coordinating module arrival times with the site crane schedule so modules are set in the order the installation crew needs them
- Site access planning: confirming the delivery route into the site — gate clearances, turning radii, soft ground, and crane pad locations — before the modules depart the fab shop
Industries We Serve for Process Module Transport
- Oil and gas — wellsite production modules, compression packages, gas processing skids, pipeline infrastructure
- Chemical and petrochemical — reactor modules, separation trains, solvent extraction, distillation column packages
- Power generation and utilities — generator packages, e-houses, transformer modules, substation prefab buildings
- Water treatment — RO systems, membrane modules, chemical dosing buildings, prefab pump stations
- Mining — gold room buildings, reagent preparation skids, mill feed control modules, dewatering packages
- Hydrogen and clean energy — electrolyzer skids, hydrogen compression packages, fuel cell power modules
Get a Quote for Your Process Module Move
R&RM LLC is based in Cumming, Georgia and has been transporting industrial skid packages and prefabricated modules since 2011. To get an accurate quote, provide the module dimensions (length, width, height), weight, fabrication shop location, and delivery site address. If you have a certified weight ticket or engineer's data sheet, those are the most reliable sources for transport planning.
Call us at (404) 987-6225 or submit a quote request online. We can provide permit lead time estimates and a total cost that includes trailer, permits, and escort vehicles so your project budget is accurate before load-out day.