Winching 'dozers onto oilfield floats...

Found some pics on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1940s-MACK-EQ-OILFIELD-TRUCK-w-CAT-RD-8-on-FLOAT-TRAILER-8x10-B-W-Glossy-Photo/163892667255?hash=item2628c3a377:g😮jAAAOSwxMRbmrd6
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1930s-WHITE-OILFIELD-TRUCK-unloading-CATERPILLAR-Gas-FORTY-8X10-B-W-Glossy-Photo/362884577975?hash=item547d9b3ab7:g:-m0AAOSwvytcM~La

done it many times. first is the float is dropped from the truck with the trucks winchline attached to the front of the float. then the truck will pull away from the float and the dozer would drive up the float from the front like a big ramp and continue until the dozer was over the tandems on the float and lessening the weight that the truck would have to lift. the truck would then winch the float back up and onto the fifth wheel and latch it. sometimes they would leave the dozer over the tandems but most would then back the dozer up and balance the load a little. this was usually accomplished by only one man. some real skinners would load the dozer so that the trailer would lift off of the ground and just back the truck under it. rarely was the dozer tied down.

in the second photo they are unloading the cat not loading it.

Why is the trailer called a float?

done it many times. first is the float is dropped from the truck with the trucks winchline attached to the front of the float. then the truck will pull away from the float and the dozer would drive up the float from the front like a big ramp and continue until the dozer was over the tandems on the float and lessening the weight that the truck would have to lift. the truck would then winch the float back up and onto the fifth wheel and latch it. sometimes they would leave the dozer over the tandems but most would then back the dozer up and balance the load a little. this was usually accomplished by only one man. some real skinners would load the dozer so that the trailer would lift off of the ground and just back the truck under it. rarely was the dozer tied down.

in the second photo they are unloading the cat not loading it.

[quote="bursitis"]done it many times. first is the float is dropped from the truck with the trucks winchline attached to the front of the float. then the truck will pull away from the float and the dozer would drive up the float from the front like a big ramp and continue until the dozer was over the tandems on the float and lessening the weight that the truck would have to lift. the truck would then winch the float back up and onto the fifth wheel and latch it. sometimes they would leave the dozer over the tandems but most would then back the dozer up and balance the load a little. this was usually accomplished by only one man. some real skinners would load the dozer so that the trailer would lift off of the ground and just back the truck under it. rarely was the dozer tied down.

in the second photo they are unloading the cat not loading it.[/quote]

That's the way I did it with me on the dozer when I moved rigs.

-don't we call them bed trucks...or Sows...?

Thanks for the info bursitis. Interesting the different names things are called. Back in the old country, a horse trailer is called a horse float, and I always assumed : ) it was because I could imagine if the trailer was transparent, the horse would appear to be floating along (at 50mph.....)

really not sure but the name float may come from the option of Folding Landing Gear that was necessary to lower the front to the ground. who knows???😖uspicious:

Sow bed has a big deck, usually hauls something large like moving a large tank not pulling a trailer often having gin poles. To heavy for highway hauling see them bullying around the lease.