Back in the late 40's and 50's in Texas at least, bulldozers were moved by oilfield trucking companies that winched the ‘dozer up and over the rolling tailboards on the back of their oilfield floats. This method required the operator to ride on the ‘dozer and help the winch to pull the 'dozer in the “break-over”.
I’m trying to write a story about this method of loading and any info and especially photos would be a great help.
Thanks,
Craig

Found some pics on ebay.
www.ebay.com/itm/1940s-MACK-EQ-OILFIELD-...7:g:OjAAAOSwxMRbmrd6
www.ebay.com/itm/1930s-WHITE-OILFIELD-TR...7: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.

"Neil" wrote:

Why is the trailer called a float?

that is just what we called them. a float was like the one in the pic and a lowboy would have a dovetail or ramp welded to the rear with ramps but that was much later. we also had huge ramps made of drill stem that would be unloaded on sight that dozers could just drive up onto the float like a loading dock. winch trucks would also be loaded onto floats the same way. the pipe and drill stem would be carried in big pipe cradles called baskets. these would be loaded over the rolling tailboard of the float. experienced operators would unload baskets of pipe by backing up fast and stomping on the brakes making the basket slide off of the rear of the trailer until it tipped down to touch the ground. then the operator would use the winch and drive slowly to finish the job. sometimes the cat would pull the baskets off. then using another cat to rig up was always interesting.

"bursitis" wrote:

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.

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

"makar" wrote:

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...?

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???

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.