Heavy Hauling Perspectives
“ Many people in the industry would like to see regulations be more uniform from state to state, would like to get permits more quickly and easily and are wondering about the effect of new technology, particularly artificial intelligence,” he said.
To get perspectives from some heavyhaul providers, we talked with representatives of the three previously mentioned OS / OW hauling companies.
We first asked about their greatest challenges and how they’ re addressing them.
Bay Crane’ s Bernardo named several.“ The oversize and overweight business has a huge number of challenges,” he said.“ They include the increasing cost of equipment, the attracting and retaining top-notch drivers and riggers, coordinating super loads with government and all of that highlighted by a hyper-competitive pricing environment.”
BOSS Heavy Haul’ s Kauffman noted that the industry faces two major challenges.“ One is issues with permitting and routing, which seem to grow daily,” he said.“ The other is a shortage of qualified people to do the work.”
Kauffman added,“ From drivers to trailer operators, it has become difficult to find the right people.”
BOSS Heavy Haul worked with Bennett Motor Express to transport a demethanizer 674 miles across Texas. Together, the vessel and hauler measured 217 feet long by 12 feet, 7 inches wide by 16 feet, 8 inches high and weighed 582,000 pounds.( Photo courtesy of BOSS Heavy Haul.)
Near Logan, Utah, NessCampbell Crane + Rigging used one of its Goldhofer self-propelled trailers to move a 600,000-pound transformer 8 miles from a rail offloading site to a utility.( Photo courtesy of NessCampbell Crane + Rigging.)
To address that issue, he said, BOSS has a strong training program focused on developing industry newcomers into a position of trust to perform jobs safely and efficiently.
NessCampbell’ s McDonald listed the permitting process, changing regulations and route restrictions that can vary by state, county or even city as his top three challenges.
He added,“ On top of that, we often face narrow windows of time for moves, traffic coordination and working around existing infrastructure like bridges and utilities.”
McDonald said that NessCampbell addresses those challenges proactively.“ Our team works closely with state and local agencies early in the process to secure the right permits and coordinate escorts. We also conduct thorough route surveys to identify potential obstacles before they become issues. We also establish clear communications between dispatch, crews and our clients,” he said.
Keys to a Successful Haul
BOSS Heavy Haul’ s Kauffman believes that a qualified workforce on all levels from the office to the field is key to successful heavy hauling.
“ BOSS focuses on executing the plan precisely and keeping our clients informed throughout the process,” he said.
He also noted that equipment dealers are an important part of the project team.“ We rely on dealers to provide the equipment we need to perform jobs safely and efficiently,” he said.
NessCampbell’ s McDonald emphasized
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