Freight, staging, crane and set: the delivery questions to ask in Aurora

01 · Factory release

Start before the carrier reaches the gate.

Ask what must be approved before production is released and what must be true before the unit may leave the factory. The shipment file should identify the exact model and revision, transport dimensions, gross shipping weight, loose components, support points, lifting instructions, packaging and pre-loading photos.

Record who signs the factory release. If an owner representative or local professional must review documents, put that requirement before pickup. A waiting driver is the wrong time to discover that the lifting diagram or unit record is missing.

Federal motor-carrier rules place enforceable cargo-securement duties on the carrier and driver. The project file still needs to show who supplies pickup points, protective blocking, temporary bracing and handling instructions. The manufacturer understands the unit; the carrier controls the vehicle and movement. Neither fact automatically assigns the work between them.

Keep transit risk beside the physical handoff. Record when title and risk transfer, which party buys applicable coverage and how visible or concealed damage is reported. Contract and insurance reviewers settle those terms for the project.

02 · Freight

Turn freight into a route and appointment.

State origin, destination, shipping configuration, expected load count and the included endpoint. “Delivered to site” could mean the public-road entrance, a staging area or prepared supports. Write the endpoint in measurable terms.

Oversize and overweight permissions vary by state and route. The Federal Highway Administration maintains a state-law reference and permit contacts; it does not issue one national permit that clears the trip. Ask the carrier who applies, which jurisdictions are crossed and what happens if the route changes.

A legal highway movement does not prove the tractor and load can clear a private gate, bridge, turn, grade, tree canopy or overhead line. Use the cabin delivery plan for the measured route and final approach. The show conversation should settle who receives those site facts and when the move is repriced or rejected.

Add appointment rules. Name who releases the truck, who receives it and where an early or delayed load may wait. Record permit expiry, escorts, travel-hour restrictions, cancellation, storage and remobilization without inferring them from production time.

03 · Staging

Draw the staging plan before booking equipment.

Staging is controlled space for the truck, unit, crane or unloading equipment, rigging, crew movement and temporary protection. Draw arrival, inspection, unloading, temporary bearing, equipment setup, lift path and final position. Show where additional loads wait without blocking emergency or construction access.

Mark slope, drainage, recent fill, trenches, tanks, septic work and underground utilities. OSHA's crane ground-condition rule assigns duties for firm, drained and graded conditions and for disclosure of known underground hazards. It is not a shortcut to an owner-made bearing-capacity conclusion.

Power lines require a separate review. OSHA requires the employer to determine whether equipment, load line, load or rigging could enter the applicable power-line zone and to use the required protective option. Bring line locations into the file before equipment is reserved; the responsible employer, utility and professionals determine the procedure.

State what changes in rain, snow, high wind or soft ground. Name who may postpone shipment, who may stop the lift and which costs move when the site loses its delivery window.

04 · Crane & set

Separate the equipment, rigging and set crew.

“Crane included” may describe equipment rental without an operator, rigging, lift director, lifting frame, mobilization, permits or enough site time. Ask for each item separately. The supplier should identify its model-specific lifting information; the lifting contractor should list what it needs to plan the job.

The role matrix should assign foundation verification, truck direction, arrival inspection, unloading equipment, rigging, lift control, alignment, bearing, anchorage, module joins, shipping-joint closure, temporary protection and the placed-unit record. Keep the matrix in the procurement file, not only in a day-of phone chain.

Wind River's published process says shipping is quoted separately and a modular general contractor leads site work, foundation preparation and post-delivery stitching. ÖÖD's Extended House page describes a model arriving in one piece with utility connection following installation. These first-party descriptions show why scope must be checked by model and proposal. They are not rankings, availability promises or endorsements.

05 · Weather-tight

Define set and weather protection in observable terms.

A unit resting on supports is not necessarily set. The acceptance point may include alignment, anchorage, structural connections, module joints, roof and wall closures, flashing, sealants, exterior trim and temporary protection. Name the responsible party and inspection record for each applicable task.

Use “weather-tight” only when the contract lists the surfaces, joints and openings covered by that handoff. Record who responds if water enters before the next trade starts. A weather-tight set does not mean utilities are commissioned or the room is approved for guests.

State where factory plumbing, electrical, HVAC, controls and communications terminate. Name the site contractor for each connection and the record used for startup. The utilities interface guide keeps source capacity, route and final connection visible.

If decks, stairs, skirting or accessible routes ship separately, do not include them in “set” unless the contract does. The quote normalization guide keeps those packages visible across competing proposals.

06 · Acceptance

Close with three records, not one signature.

The transport record captures pickup condition, packaging, route events and visible arrival damage. The set record captures unit identity, revision, position, supports, anchorage status, shipping-joint work, weather protection and open items. The commissioning record covers connected systems, tests, punch work, manuals, training and property approvals.

A carrier receipt should not silently accept unfinished set work. A set record should not claim that inspections, accessibility, utility release or guest use are complete. Keep each decision attached to the responsible party.

At the show, use a one-page handoff sheet. Start with the supplier's standard boundary, mark every item that changes by site or model, and request a proposal-specific answer afterward. A conversation beside a display gathers evidence; it is not a final lift plan.