Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/692436
Route planning Choosing the route for a super load is more involved that just looking at the map. The permits will require you to specify the exact route you take, but before that, you or your broker or carrier need to survey the entire route, check bridge heights and watch out for detours or road construction that may interfere with the haul, says Watson. In some circumstances you will be required to get clearance or permis- sion to use private roadways or co-op owned roadways. These may require wavers or pre-approval. And if part of the route into a construction site is over unpaved surfaces, those must be exam- ined to make sure they can handle the loads. States and metropolitan areas often have curfews on when a super load can run on a highway. Many restrict these loads to daylight hours. "The EquipmentWorld.com | June 2016 79 heavy trucks | continued P icking the right truck and trailer is also important in hauling a super load. In many cases, if you can't fi nd what you need, you can probably fi nd somebody to build it for you. "If you have enough time and enough money, there is a truck for every load," says Ryan Transporta- tion's Robert Hall. "A lot of these guys will have dual-lane, 35-axle trailers where the trailer itself weighs 200,000 pounds. The more axles you have under the load, the better you disperse the weight and you can transport loads that are 200,000 or 300,000 pounds. Weight wise there's not a lot that can't be moved." "Even if the trailer doesn't exist now, there are carriers out there with the ability to build a specialized trailer specifi c to that load," says Watson. "A lot of these carriers have modular confi gurations so they can add or remove axles." Barges are another op- tion but the piece will still need to get on and off the barge, so a truck will be involved at some point, he says. A 500- to 600-horsepower tractor will be needed for many of these super loads, says Hall. That will give you the best fuel effi ciency and comfort for the driver. Many will have tag axles that they can drop down to improve weight displacement. To save weight the carriers use day cabs, rather than sleeper cabs. "The engines are different; the transmissions are different. They're built exclusively to haul heavy loads," Hall says. "You won't fi nd a sleeper cab truck that can haul 150,000 pounds. They just aren't built for it." If you've got the money, somebody has the truck CMS Series Compact Suspension 100 Series 180° Turn-Table Versatility 500 Series Wide-Range of Applications 800 Series Agriculture Comfort 600 Series Preferred Features Introducing the future of off-highway seating! Seats ranging from material-handling and construction to agricultural vehicles, KAB has the seat you need and the comfort you demand. Call 800-459-SEAT to find a dealer near you.