You think hauling 47 feet of Air Filtration Equipment 700 miles sounds challenging? Try doing it 20 times.
Bennett ranks 62nd according to the Transport Topics 2018 Top 100 For-Hire Carriers
October 16, 2018
Taming a Big Blue Monster in Texas
November 1, 2018Bennett’s on-time delivery of difficult loads helps University of Delaware’s construction project run like clockwork.
Anyone in construction knows delays cost money. Waiting on equipment, weather, materials and permits adds up. So with hauls for the construction industry, Bennett’s always conscious of the timeline. We know when the delivery needs to be onsite and everything has to be done right.
In this case, right was delivering a 14’6” wide, 11’ tall and super-stretch 47’ long load on time from Michigan to Delaware without damage or incidents. The main challenge of hauling extra-long cargoes is the turns. According to Bennett owner-operator driver on the haul, Dwayne Kinder, “You can’t just turn on a dime like a normal load. I mean you have to literally get on over in the oncoming traffic and up against their shoulder to make certain turns. You have to know what you’re doing because if not, you’ll tear the piece up. You’ll tear a tire up.”
Bennett earns an A for planning in the Delaware University haul.
Weeks and weeks of planning go into a haul like this one even though the 700-mile transit from Michigan to Delaware lasts only 2-1/2 days. Bennett’s team plotted the route back at the home office and meticulously applied for permits from the states and cities along the route. Kinder also weighed in ahead of the trip to provide a practical and personal perspective. Every turn and interstate were plotted out.
Unfortunately, Murphy’s law is as much a fixture of our roads as highway patrolmen. Which is why customers call on Bennett’s specialized expertise—and why Bennett drivers, like Kinder, are a special breed apart.
It takes a “Super Load” pro driving a Peterbilt.
Kinder, a third-generation truck driver who’s been hauling since 2002, was Bennett’s man for the load. He has earned the Super Load designation at Bennett, meaning he is qualified to haul any size or length of cargo.
As Bennett dispatcher, Chandler Christian describes him, “Dwayne is someone I’d put my trust in for any load.”
On the Delaware haul, he was backed and fronted by expert escorts the whole way. They play a critical role in making turns and keeping motorists from cutting into the trailer’s danger zone. “I’m 97 feet long.” Kinder explains, “That’s when you need good escorts to get traffic stopped because you have to swing extra wide to make it around turns.”
Kinder and his team are constantly in communication via CB to guard for the unexpected. Often the motoring public, not recognizing the difficulty of the haul, unwittingly create situations of danger.
Nevertheless the haul went smoothly. Surprisingly, it flew by at speeds of 60 mph for the most part.
Driving like that takes confidence, experience and what most motorists don’t know, almost a 6th sense for safety. As Bennett agent on the job Tim Martin says, “Safety is always our prime concern.” Not only is safety always on the team’s mind, it’s the object of countless future measures and moves, possibilities and potential dangers that occupy Kinder and his escorts’ thoughts.
A haul bookended by a tricky pickup and challenging drop off.
The act of backing up tends to put most motorists on edge. Kinder had to back his rig up a quarter of a mile through the very manufacturing plant that made the air filtration unit, past workers and assembly lines, forklifts and materials. It was a test of nerves involving an extra-long trailer.
Dropping off, usually the release and reward of a long hard haul provided the team with no relief. Swinging the oversized trailer into the regular sized yard required the clairvoyance of a driver who knew his equipment and what it could do, as well as intuitive geometric skills that Kinder takes for granted. Things got a little hairy when the crane at the yard proved to be too small, but a bigger one was quickly brought in for Kinder’s big load.
The true measure of 16 tons of success.
A lot happens on the road. Authorities in the multiple states, counties, cities and towns can raise objections and issue citations. There can be unavoidable and avoidable delays. There can be embarrassing scrapes—as well as real scrapes and damage to the heavy equipment being hauled. In this case: no citations, no issues. The construction crew had their air filtration unit where they needed it when they needed it—and everyone from customer to planner, dispatcher, agent, escorts and driver could breathe a collective sigh of relief…and get ready for number 8 of the next 20 extra-large loads Bennett has signed on to haul. Stay tuned for more success.
Bennett Motor Express brings safety best practices and heavy haul expertise to some of the largest over-the-road transports in the U.S. For more information on Bennett’s heavy haul services, visit www.bennettig.com/heavyhaul
