A reformer vessel measuring 73 feet long and weighing 425,000 pounds needs to be transported from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Lima, Ohio. It is a trip of more than 1,600 miles. Due to its size, the vessel has to be carried on a custom oversized 300-foot dolly transporter with a gross weight of 885,000 pounds. It will travel by road 13 miles to an Oklahoma port where it will be loaded onto a barge for a 1,357-mile trip to a port in Indiana. At the port, it will be offloaded and hauled another 235 miles to its final destination.
If you’re a company considering a project of this scale, you know it involves extensive advance planning and hiring the right people to get it done. You could take the conventional route and hire a multitude of agents, contractors, and subcontractors to complete the project. At a minimum, the vessel project would involve five entities: a contractor that offloads the project cargo, one that loads the cargo, the barge company and heavy-transport specialty contractors in Oklahoma and Indiana.
In this particular project, as with most heavy-haul and logistics projects, potential obstacles, missteps, and complications lie at every turn. The sheer size and weight of the transporter and vessel is a challenge. A low-lying bridge that spans the canal connecting Lake Michigan to the Illinois River may not allow for the passage of the barge. Government regulations and DOT requirements in multiple states — Oklahoma, Ohio and Indiana — may delay or prohibit transporting oversized cargo.
Having multiple contractors multiplies the possibility for mistakes; logistical, mechanical and engineering cost overruns; and bureaucratic nightmares. If you’re the company’s project manager, attempting to manage these entities while hoping for a seamless outcome can be a nail-biting headache. However, if you hire an independent contractor to oversee the project, you can guarantee you’ll be paying a markup on each individual contractor.
This is why companies with heavy haul and logistics projects like the reformer vessel should consider using a vendor that has the equipment and expertise in-house to handle all aspects of the project, a vendor with a history of successful and efficient turnkey projects, an extensive equipment inventory and engineering know-how.
In any given heavy-transport project, you have the potential to deal with a multitude of the 48 contiguous states, all with 48 different DOT rules. A company that has a coast-to-coast network of branches is a plus because they have knowledge and experience with DOT regulations in each state and relationships with local municipalities and utilities. Lack of knowledge can delay or bring to a standstill the successful transport of cargo.
These relationships proved to be pivotal in a case of a project in Norfolk, Virginia, where a traffic plan had to be put in place downtown to ensure the streets and corners were clear of cars so a 16-foot-wide trailer could make the route. Knowledge of local routes and bridges is imperative in order to anticipate, reroute around or shore up local bridges incapable of holding the load.
For an overseas company or one that transports cargo from overseas, it’s important to have a vendor with a presence in major ports. Involving a vendor early in the process, one that possesses an extensive network of resources often translates to lower project costs.
For more information, contact Chris Teague at (251) 706-0884 or cteague@barnhartcrane.com, or visit www.barnhartcrane.com.
