Loading Skids
Every facility has a different combination of vehicle types, product specifications, and throughput requirements. A loading skid that works for a single-product truck terminal won't necessarily suit a multi-commodity transloading yard handling both rail and road traffic. That's why Hemco engineers each loading skid around the specific conditions of your site, from the fluids you're transferring to the access and fall protection your operators need.
Since 1956, we've built loading platforms, gangways, and access systems for facilities in the petrochemical, oil and gas, chemical processing, food and beverage, and pulp and paper industries. Our loading skids extend that expertise into pre-engineered, skid-mounted configurations that integrate safe access, fall protection, loading arms, and fluid handling into a single factory-tested package.
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Truck, Railcar, and Marine Skids
Hemco designs and fabricates loading skids for the full range of bulk fluid transfer applications. Each system is built to your site's operational and regulatory requirements.
Truck Loading Skids
Truck loading skids are configured for tanker truck access, with platforms sized to accommodate standard DOT trailer dimensions. Systems include integrated gangways, safety gates, and provisions for top- or bottom-loading arm connections. Skids can be designed for single or multi-spot truck loading operations.
Railcar Loading Skids
Railcar loading skids are engineered to account for the height variation between different tank car classes. Platforms incorporate adjustable gangways or ramps to provide safe operator access across AAR car types. Fall protection, grounding verification, and overflow monitoring can all be integrated into the skid package.
Marine Loading Skids
Marine loading skids are built for barge and vessel access, where tidal variations, freeboard heights, and dock conditions create unique challenges. These systems pair Hemco's platform and gangway design with the structural requirements of waterfront installations.
All transfer skids are pre-assembled and tested before shipment, reducing on-site installation time and ensuring that components work together as an integrated system from initial startup.
Carbon Steel Construction
Hemco fabricates its loading skids from hot-rolled structural carbon steel rather than aluminum. For skid-mounted systems that bear sustained operational loads in corrosive, high-traffic environments, carbon steel provides the structural capacity and fatigue resistance that the application demands. We have systems still in active service from the 1960s, a testament to the material's durability over extended operational lifecycles.
Steel fabrication also allows for greater flexibility when your project calls for non-standard configurations. Unusual platform heights, wider access decks, integration with existing piping runs, or site-specific structural requirements are all achievable without compromising load ratings or code compliance.
Transloading Racks and Split-Level Configurations
For operations that transfer product between railcars and trucks, Hemco's transloading racks provide a single platform with operator access at multiple elevations. The split-level design allows safe, simultaneous work at both tank car height and lower truck hatch positions.
Transloading rack assemblies ship prefabricated, with sections welded as large as practical for transport. Field assembly requires a minimum number of bolted connections, and maintenance crews can typically complete installation in hours using Hemco's piece-marked drawings and erection instructions.
Engineering Support from Quote to Commissioning
Hemco's engineering staff is involved in every project from initial scoping through installation support. We coordinate with your operations, safety, and site engineering teams on platform layout, access points, fall protection compliance, and integration with existing infrastructure. If your application falls outside a standard configuration, we design and fabricate a solution to match. Whether you need a single-transfer skid for a remote transloading site or a multi-station loading skid system for a high-throughput terminal, our team has the experience and fabrication capabilities to build it to spec.
Frequently Asked Questions About Transfer & Loading Skids
What is a loading skid?
A loading skid is a pre-engineered, skid-mounted system that integrates the platforms, access equipment, fall protection, and fluid handling components needed for bulk loading or unloading operations. Because the system is assembled and tested at our facility before shipment, it installs faster and with fewer on-site variables than a field-built solution.
Can Hemco integrate a loading skid with my existing infrastructure?
Yes. Our engineering team coordinates with your site staff to design skid systems that tie into existing piping, structural supports, and control systems. We handle the engineering to ensure compatibility with your current layout and operational requirements.
Why does Hemco use carbon steel instead of aluminum?
Carbon steel provides higher structural capacity and better fatigue resistance under the sustained loads and harsh conditions typical of industrial loading environments. It also allows for greater fabrication flexibility when projects require non-standard dimensions or configurations. Our oldest systems have been in continuous service for over 60 years.
Hemco Industries: Access Gangways & Lifeline Fall Protection
Since 1956, Hemco Industries has been a leading manufacturer of access gangways, fall protection systems, loading racks, and bulk fluid handling equipment for railcars, tanker trucks, marine vessels, and other applications. We consider ourselves first an engineering firm that solves customer problems, backed by a 25,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Houston, TX.
Our engineering staff is involved in every sale, and our product line can handle the full range of bulk loading and unloading requirements, from standard configurations to fully custom builds. When your operation calls for something specific, we design and fabricate it to fit.
Get a Quote on Your Loading Skid Project
Ready to discuss your next loading skid installation? Hemco's engineering team will review your project requirements and provide a detailed quote. We work with your team to scope the right system for your site, whether that's a standard configuration or a fully custom build. Call us at 281-890-6862 or fill out our online Request a Quote form to get started. We typically respond within one business day.
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