Forklifts and other heavy equipment can weigh thousands of pounds. Loading them onto a standard trailer often requires a second machine, adding time, cost, and risk to every move.
Sam Recio, owner of Smart Choice Recycling in Norco, California, found a simpler way. Since 2016, he’s used Air-tow ground-level loading trailers to load and haul forklifts himself. He has since grown his fleet to three Air-tow Trailers.
Equipment Moving Services Across California
Smart Choice Recycling is based in Norco, in the Inland Empire, and serves businesses throughout California. Much of Sam’s work involves hauling heavy equipment: transporting forklifts he sells or refurbishes, handling machinery disposal, and helping businesses relocate equipment during warehouse consolidations.
The equipment he moves typically weighs 6,000 to 12,000 pounds. At that weight, how a unit gets onto the trailer matters as much as how it gets down the road.
Hauling Forklifts Without Extra Machinery
When Sam first started picking up forklifts, loading meant bringing in more heavy equipment just to lift each unit onto a trailer. Every pickup meant coordinating extra equipment before the job could even begin.
Air-tow changed that. With a ground-level loading trailer, Sam could handle loading himself.
How a Ground-Level Loading Trailer Works
An Air-tow trailer deck lowers all the way to the ground. Equipment can be driven or winched straight on, with no steep ramps and no second machine to lift it into place. Once the load is secured, the deck raises for transport.
Sam says the difference between ground loading and lifting a unit with other machinery is night and day. For his business, the benefits come down to two things:
- Safety: He doesn’t have to lift heavy equipment or maneuver it up a ramp.
- Efficiency: One person and one trailer can handle the entire loading process, with no extra equipment to schedule or transport.
Growing to a Three-Trailer Fleet
Sam bought his first Air-tow, a gooseneck trailer, in 2016. As Smart Choice Recycling grew, his fleet grew with it, handling client pickups, warehouse moves, equipment he’s purchased, and deliveries of refurbished machinery.
His newest addition is a UT16-14. After nearly a decade of hauling forklifts, Sam recommends an Air-tow to anyone who needs one.
Service From the La Verne Team
Sam also credits the people behind the trailers. Since his first purchase, he has worked with Bob and Kevin at Air-tow’s La Verne location. He describes them as always smiling, always willing to help, and sincere in how they treat customers.
As a business owner himself, Sam says that sincerity has been good to him.
Find the Right Ground-Level Loading Trailer
If your business moves forklifts or other heavy equipment, an Air-tow ground-level loading trailer can make every job safer and simpler. Explore Air-tow Trailers or find a dealer near you to see which model fits your work.
About Smart Choice Recycling
Smart Choice Recycling is based in Norco, California, and offers metal pickup, machinery disposal, equipment hauling, forklift sales, demolition, and transportation throughout California. Contact Sam at (714) 326-1785 or visit Smart Choice Recycling on Facebook to learn more.
Watch Sam’s Story
Hear Sam explain how a ground-level loading trailer changed the way he moves forklifts.