The big job was to move two 626,000 lb (284t) heat exchangers 2,900 miles (4,666 km) from Texas to Alberta. Most of the job was coordinating with local authorities. The complicated process required permitting and logistics approval from dozens of governmental entities along the route. Negotiating with Alberta authorities alone took two months.
Emmert’s custom built wooden saddles for the 22ft 6in (7,000 mm)-wide heat exchangers were designed and configured to 18 feet (5,500 mm) wide to meet US regulations.
Although the standard width for Canadian hauls is 14ft, the Alberta Transportation Department accepted a configuration two feet wider. At the Canadian border, Emmert modified the trailer’s frame and dolly system from 18ft to 16ft wide. Custom dolly steering bars installed during the configuration change increased the stability of the trailer and load until the heat exchangers were delivered to the client.
In the smaller job, Emmert transported 66 gas pipe modules 1,730 miles from Texas to Michigan using four-axle trucks with three-, four- and five-axle step deck stretch trailers.
The largest 14 of the modules, which measured 16ft 6in (5,000 mm) high, were transported to the Port of Houston for shipping up the Mississippi. Once they landed in Benton Harbour, they faced icy roads and tight schedules due to weather restrictions. The state of Michigan gave Emmert special permission to use bucket trucks to lift overhead power lines out of the way for the loads to pass underneath. The planning for this job required 150 hours of engineering and 200 hours of planning and coordination over a period of seven months. Permits were required from six states.
