Transport Spotlight
By Mike Larson
Heavy-Haul Insights
Successful oversize-overweight carriers share thoughts about trends, challenges and keys to success
As its name implies, the specialized transportation industry moves loads that require specific knowledge and equipment because they are larger, heavier or more complex than standard freight.
The specialist companies that operate in this vital industry move everything from power generation and distribution equipment, construction machinery and industrial machines, to 1,500-ton bridge sections, refinery vessels, tugboats and space shuttles.
Heavy-haulers’ customers come from all sectors of the economy.
They include power companies, infrastructure constructors, manufacturing, high-tech, medical facilities, petroleum production, data centers, freight forwarders and hundreds more.
A market analysis published on LinkedIn this spring estimated that the oversize / overweight( OS / OW) transportation industry in the Americas was worth $ 8.5 billion in 2024 and will grow to $ 12.3 billion by 2033.
The national organization for the specialized transportation industry in North America is the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association( SC & RA).
Chris Smith is vice president of the SC & RA’ s transportation sector.
He leads the organization’ s advocacy and educational programs that support members who work in specialized transportation and their suppliers.
One of the many things he’ s working on now is the educational program for the SC & RA’ s 2026 Specialized Transportation Symposium, which will be held Feb. 24-26 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Expert Insights
To learn about current conditions in the OS / OW, or heavy-haul industry, we interviewed Smith and representatives from three of the country’ s leading heavy-haul companies: Kenneth Bernardo, president of Bay Crane Companies, Long Island City, New York; Robby Kauffman, terminal manager for BOSS Heavy Haul LLC, Dayton, Texas; and Mike McDonald, vice president of NessCampbell Crane + Rigging, Hillsboro, Oregon.
Challenges
As one can easily imagine, the heavyhaul, or OS / OW business can present many challenges.
To get an overview, we asked the SC & RA’ s Smith about the top-of-mind issues he’ s hearing about most often.