While ladders are one of the most useful tools and pieces of equipment tradesmen use in their daily work, they can also be the most cumbersome to transport.

The longer the ladder, the more difficult it will be to transport, and traveling in a vehicle can also be dangerous if not properly secured. Here are some ideas to help you transport ladders safely while making sure you always have the right one for the job.

Although extension ladders can be retracted, they are still a long piece of equipment and therefore difficult to transport. Few cars can carry an extension, even some of the smaller varieties on the market, so extension ladder transport should only be done with a van.

They can be secured to the roof or side of many trucks, but there are a few key points to remember. When the ladder is strapped down, it needs to remember the forward and backward momentum of a vehicle, so make sure it doesn’t slip under the straps. The ladder should also not extend beyond the length of the vehicle; if it sticks out dangerously, it can be dangerous.

A roof rack is perhaps the safest method of transporting long ladders such as extensions.

Stepladders have a great advantage when it comes to transportation, as they fold up. Most cars can carry a set of stepladders on the roof, using a roof rack to protect them from other road users, or in an estate or hatchback because they can be placed inside. If you carry ladders inside the car, it’s important to remember to secure them, especially if they’re lying flat in the back seat. Sudden braking, or an accident, could cause the ladders to fly forward and injure you or another road user.

alternative solutions

There are more folding ladders that are designed for easy transportation. Surveyor’s ladders can fold up and fit in the trunk of most passenger cars, while several types of combination ladders also fold down quite small, so if you only have a small vehicle, there may be a foldable solution.