Hydrovac & Vacuum Excavator Transport Services
Vacuum excavation trucks — commonly called hydrovac units, combination trucks, or vac trucks — are specialized pieces of heavy equipment used throughout the utility, oil and gas, municipal, and construction industries. R&RM LLC transports vacuum excavators and hydrovac trucks of all sizes and configurations, from compact trailer-mounted units to full-size tri-axle combination sewer trucks, to and from job sites, depots, and dealers across all 48 continental states.
Large hydrovac units are frequently overweight — a full-size combination truck can exceed 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight even before accounting for the water and debris payload — and many units are oversize in height or width as well. Our team handles oversize permits, overweight permits, trailer selection, and escort coordination as part of every move.
Types of Vacuum Excavation Equipment We Transport
Hydrovac Trucks
Hydrovac units use pressurized water to break up soil and a high-powered vacuum system to remove the slurry. They are used extensively for utility locating, potholing around buried infrastructure, and daylight excavation in areas where traditional mechanical digging would damage underground utilities. Full-size hydrovac trucks are mounted on tri-axle or tandem-axle chassis and carry large debris tanks — commonly 800 to 2,400 gallons capacity — that make the unit both tall and heavy. When a unit is being moved between projects or returned to a depot, the tank is typically drained, but the chassis, pump, and body alone can still weigh 40,000 to 55,000 pounds or more, pushing total gross vehicle weight above legal limits when loaded on a trailer.
Combination Sewer Trucks
Combination sewer trucks — also called combo trucks or jetter-vac units — use a high-pressure water jetter to clean sewer lines and a vacuum system to remove debris. Municipal utility departments and pipeline contractors operate combination trucks year-round. Units vary from compact single-axle trucks suited for residential sewer work to heavy tri-axle units designed for large-diameter municipal infrastructure. Combination trucks are frequently transported between municipalities, service contractors, and dealers.
Trailer-Mounted Vacuum Excavators
Smaller vacuum excavation units are mounted on trailers rather than truck chassis, making them easier to move between job sites. While these units are generally lighter than truck-mounted systems, wide or tall body configurations may still require oversize permits for transport. Trailer-mounted units are typically transported on step deck or lowboy trailers, which keep the combined height within permit-free thresholds on most corridors.
Industrial Vacuum Trucks
Industrial vacuum trucks — used in petrochemical plants, refineries, tank farms, and industrial facilities — collect liquid, sludge, and dry bulk materials. These units carry large tanks and are often heavier than hydrovac units of comparable size. Industrial vacuum trucks are transported between facilities, to service contractors, or to maintenance depots for rebuilds and overhauls.
Vacuum Excavator Brands We Transport
- Vactor Manufacturing: The most widely used sewer combination truck in North America. Vactor 2100 Plus and Vactor 2110 series are common in municipal utility fleets. Vactor also produces the HXX hydro excavation series.
- McLaughlin: MCLAUGHLIN hydrovac units, including the Vermeer-branded McLaughlin Badger series, are popular with utility contractors. McLaughlin trailer-mounted units are common in telecom and gas distribution work.
- Ditch Witch: The Ditch Witch HX series of hydrovac units is designed for utility contractors. Mounted on medium-duty truck chassis, these units are well suited for urban potholing work.
- Vermeer: Vermeer vacuum excavation equipment includes trailer-mounted and truck-mounted configurations for utility locating and underground infrastructure work.
- Federal Signal: Federal Signal's Elgin and Guzzler brands produce industrial vacuum trucks and combination sewer cleaners used in municipal and industrial applications.
- GapVax: Heavy-duty industrial vacuum trucks used in refineries, chemical plants, and tank farms — frequently requiring overweight permits for transport due to large tank capacity.
- Keith Huber: Industrial and municipal combination trucks used throughout the Southeast and Midwest for sewer and stormwater maintenance.
- Aquatech: Super combination trucks and sewer cleaning equipment used by pipeline contractors and municipal authorities.
Transport Considerations for Hydrovac & Vacuum Units
Weight
A fully equipped hydrovac unit on a tri-axle chassis can weigh 45,000 to 58,000 pounds in transport configuration — before the trailer. Add a lowboy trailer and tractor, and the combination can exceed 100,000 to 130,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, well into overweight permit territory. Overweight permits must be obtained from each state the load transits. Permit requirements vary significantly by state: some states allow high gross weights with the right axle configuration, while others impose lower bridge weight limits that require careful route planning.
Height
Full-size hydrovac and combination truck bodies are typically 11 to 13 feet tall from ground to the top of the debris tank. Loaded on a lowboy trailer with an 18- to 22-inch deck height, the total transport height can reach 12 to 15 feet — above the 13 foot 6 inch legal limit in many states. When the load height exceeds the state's legal limit, an oversize height permit is required, and many states impose daylight-only travel restrictions on tall loads. Our dispatch team reviews height clearances on the planned route as part of permit processing.
Width
Most hydrovac truck bodies stay within the 8 foot 6 inch legal width for standard loads, but some industrial vacuum trucks and combination units with extended outriggers or wide body configurations may be marginally over legal width. When width exceeds 8 feet 6 inches, an oversize width permit is required, and some states require a lead pilot car for loads over 10 or 12 feet wide.
Drive-On vs. Crane Loading
Unlike tracked heavy equipment such as excavators and bulldozers, hydrovac and vacuum trucks are wheeled and can often be driven onto a lowboy trailer under their own power if the unit is operational. However, units that are inoperable, have damaged drivetrains, or have very high chassis clearances may require crane or hydraulic lift loading at the origin. We assess loading method requirements when quoting each move.
Trailer Selection for Vacuum Excavation Units
- RGN Trailers: Suitable for units that can be driven on. The detachable gooseneck allows drive-on loading from the front, eliminating the need for ramps. Best for operatonal units with a wheelbase that fits the trailer deck.
- Lowboy Trailers: The most common choice for full-size hydrovac and combination trucks. Low deck height minimizes total transport height, keeping more loads within permit-free height thresholds.
- Multi-Axle Lowboys: For the heaviest industrial vacuum units, a multi-axle lowboy spreads the load weight across enough axles to satisfy per-axle legal limits. Necessary for very heavy units that exceed standard trailer weight ratings.
- Step Deck Trailers: Suitable for trailer-mounted vacuum excavators and lighter truck-mounted units where height permits.
Common Transport Scenarios
- Fleet relocation: Municipal utility departments moving hydrovac units when contracts change or fleets consolidate
- Dealer-to-dealer transfers: Equipment dealers moving used combination trucks between locations for resale
- Manufacturer delivery: New unit delivery from Vactor, McLaughlin, and other manufacturers to utility contractors or municipalities
- Depot-to-project: Contractors moving hydrovac units to large utility construction or pipeline projects in other states
- Auction and liquidation: Municipalities and contractors selling used vacuum trucks and needing transport from auction pickup to buyer's yard
- Refurbishment: Units being moved to rebuild shops for major overhauls and returning to service fleets
Related Equipment & Services
Vacuum excavation units are frequently used alongside other equipment we transport. If you are moving a full utility fleet or a combination of equipment types, we can help coordinate multi-unit moves to reduce total transport cost.
- Oilfield & pipeline equipment transport — vacuum trucks are extensively used in pipeline and refinery work
- Drill rig transport — HDD machines and vacuum excavators are frequently deployed together for utility crossings
- Permit services — complete oversize and overweight permit coordination for multi-state moves
- Overweight load transport — heavy combination trucks routinely require overweight permits
Get a Quote for Your Hydrovac Transport
To get an accurate quote, provide the unit's make and model, chassis configuration (single-axle, tandem, tri-axle), approximate weight in transport configuration, overall height and width, and the pickup and delivery locations. We will handle permit research, trailer selection, and routing — you get one quote that covers everything.
R&RM LLC is based in Cumming, Georgia, and has been providing heavy haul transport services since 2011. We serve all 48 continental states.