TowHaul Company Insight - Mine Magazine | Issue 72

company insight

TowHaul Corporation is the leading manufacturer of off-road lowboys specifically designed for the open-pit mining industry

TowHaul Lowboy and Haul Truck Towing Systems

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Equipment mobility is a critical driver of mine site efficiency and TowHaul has been helping clients achieve this efficiency for over 35 years. Ranging from 120 to 1,600 ton capacity, TowHaul equipment helps improve tracked equipment mobility for mining companies all over the world. TowHaul has encountered every condition throughout the world and have updated our original model while maintaining the same streamlined design. The front-loading trailer offers a stable loading platform to efficiently load bulldozers, blast hole drills, wheel loaders and excavators.

Technical Details

TowHaul’s flagship product is the RGS/LPM Gooseneck and Lowboy. The RGS denotes “Removable Gooseneck, Single Axle” and the LPM stands for “Low-Profile Modular”.

The Removable Gooseneck is the key feature of TowHaul equipment. Since the Gooseneck disconnects from the lowboy, it can be used for multiple tasks. Primarily, it is used to connect with and pull the lowboy. However, it can also be reconfigured at the touch of a button to then tow disabled haul trucks with the optional Towing Conversion Package. TowHaul equipment is towing every major haul truck in the world including the largest ultra-class trucks.

In addition, the Gooseneck can connect with other specialty trailers from TowHaul including the Dragline Bucket Transporter and the Water Tank Carrier.

With a single dedicated haul truck, mining operations can accomplish a range of crucial mine site tasks. This versatility has been become so critical to efficient mine operations that the machines are often considered “priority one” for many of the worlds open-pit mine operations.

TowHaul Lowboys are front loading which is crucial for three main reasons:

Speed – the Gooseneck can connect and disconnect in as little as 90 seconds
Safety – the full width of the lowboy rests on the ground providing a wide, stable loading platform
Versatility – the multi-purpose gooseneck can be used to tow disabled haul trucks or other specialty TowHaul trailers (Dragline Bucket Transporter or Water Tank Carrier)

The “Low-Profile” designation refers to the load ramps of the lowboy which are designed in such a way as to reduce the “breakover” as the equipment transitions from the ramps to the lowboy deck.

The “Modular” aspect refers to how the lowboys are designed, manufactured and shipped. Each module is easier to handle and ship which substantially lowers shipping costs for our clients, especially those overseas. Once onsite, the modules are pinned together which minimizes installation time (3-5 days).

TowHaul Lowboys utilize a single, haul-truck type axle. TowHaul offers a dry drum brake configuration or a wet brake configuration with TowHaul’s patented Brake Cooling System. Using a single axle eliminates tire “skidding” often found with multi-axle trailers when turning on a sharp corner. This “skidding” can cause tire and axle damage leading to downtime. Recognizing the variety of conditions in which mines operate, TowHaul has designed specific lowboy configurations tailored to operate more effectively in specific areas. For example, there are several TowHaul Lowboys currently operating in the unique conditions found in the oil sands of northern Alberta designed with a specific Oil Sands Configuration.

To cope with the extreme ambient temperatures found in Western Australia, TowHaul upgraded the patented Brake Cooling System for our 450-ton capacity lowboys to improve the cooling of the oil in those systems.

TowHaul Lowboys utilize a single, haul-truck type axle. TowHaul offers a dry drum brake configuration or a wet brake configuration with TowHaul’s patented Brake Cooling System.

TowHaul is the original off-road mining lowboy manufacturer since 1977

Additional TowHaul facts:

TowHaul is the original off-road mining lowboy manufacturer since 1977
TowHaul has over 230 units operating in 26 countries on 6 continents
Payloads of lowboy currently in operation range from 100 – 600 short tons
Many TowHaul lowboys are still in operation after 25 years of service
Approximately 80% of TowHaul Lowboy owners have the optional Towing Conversion Package for towing disabled haul trucks
TowHaul was named the United States Small Business Administration National Exporter of the Year in 2004

Equipment that is regularly hauled on TowHaul Lowboys: