Event Review By Allen P. Roberts Jr. SC & RA Annual Conference

Safety was a hot topic at this year’ s SC & RA conference.

This year’ s event was held at the Omni Barton Creek in Austin, Texas, and ran from April 15-19, drawing owners, CEOs and leaders from SC & RA’ s dynamic members around the world.

“ It was great to be back in the industry and catching up with clients I haven’ t seen in years as well as also meeting so many new clients,” Cindy Kirby, with Crane Hot Line, said.“ This is a great event to be a part of for networking and the breakout sessions were insightful.”

The 75-year history of the annual SC & RA event demonstrates the evolution of the specialized transportation and construction sectors. The SC & RA we know today emerged from the heavy haulers, machinery movers and erectors section of the Local Cartage National Conference( LCNC) of the American Trucking Associations( ATA) back in 1948. The conference has grown from a modest gathering of 75 individuals to the premier global event averaging 700 attendees, representing close to a dozen countries.

This year’ s Job of the Year competition

showcased the year’ s most impressive, innovative and challenging projects. The competition has eight categories, highlighting the ingenuity and expertise of SC & RA members in tackling complex transportation and rigging tasks.

Transportes Muciñom won the award for greater than 500,000 lbs., net weight, for handling domestic and international transportation of turbines and generators, ranging from 44,000 lbs. to heavier than 705,000 lbs., from the Altamira and Progreso ports to sites in Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi and Yucatan.

Omega Morgan, Inc. won the 160,000- 500,000 lbs., net weight class, for transporting six turbine runners, measuring 25-feet wide, 13-feet long and weighing in at 367,967 lbs. each, marking the heaviest loads ever to cross British Columbia, from Prince Rupert to Northern British Columbia.

Bragg Companies nabbed the under 160,000 lbs. award for moving two colossal solid rocket boosters, weighing over 100,000 lbs. each, from the Mojave Space Port to their new home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Western Mechanical Electrical secured the Moving Job of the Year award for providing transportation and delivery for a

220-ton pedestrian bridge, with an intact length of 42 meters, from the fabricator in Stoney Creek, Ontario, to the site in downtown Toronto, where the bridge was set precisely into place without the use of overhead cranes.

In addition to the Job of the Year awards, the conference also honored members with awards for membership longevity, environmental stewardship and outstanding contributions to the industry. The Golden Achievement Award and the President’ s Award recognized individuals and companies for their exceptional achievements and dedication to advancing the goals of the SC & RA.

The educational component of the conference was also impactful, with sessions covering a wide range of topics including safety best practices, regulatory updates, technological advancements and industry trends. Attendees had the opportunity to learn from experts in their field and gain insights that could help shape the future of their businesses.

Looking ahead, the SC & RA Annual Conference will continue to bring together the best in the industry to shape the future of specialized transportation and construction. The 2025 conference will kick off on April 21 in Phoenix.

32 CRANE HOT LINE ® June 2024 • www. cranehotline. com