Crane Transport – Shipping a Manitowoc 999 Crane
A crane transport is a fun shipping project to get involved with for several reasons. First, it’s fascinating to watch a large crane like a Manitowoc 999 Crane being disassembled and then reassembled. Crane shipping is interesting too, because there are so many trucks involved to move a large crane that it’s important to have a plan in place in arranging the jigsaw puzzle of placing the correct pieces on the correct trailer types. All the time, trying to maximize each trailer for all its room and weight.
The above picture shows just one boom section of the crane with two counter weights lying underneath the boom. The advantage of using a stepdeck on this shipment was the added space for the counter weights allowing the load to be maximized by weight and dimensions. This particular move used flatbeds, stepdecks, double drops, and multi-axle trailers. There were a total of 15 trucks to ship just one Manitowoc 999 Crane.
Cribbing which is a term for using lumber to act as a support piece in holding the commodity. Cribbing can be used for a variety of reasons, but on this shipment it was used a buffer piece between the counter weight and the boom. This protects both pieces while giving the boom a secure place to rest on the trailer. It also keeps the boom level, which is more secure on the trailer.
General Crane Rental was instrumental in being sure that the loads where loaded correctly and timely. It’s hard to pull off such a big job with no headaches, but thanks to their professionalism and know-how it went smooth.
The receiver of the crane was Hallamore in Massachusetts. They also did a phenomenal job of receiving the product and worked with us on providing the needed flexibility sometimes required to meet the demands of the job this size.
One particular long and high crane piece was shipped on a stepdeck with low profile wheels and wheel cutouts that reduced the trailer deck height low enough to accommodate the height required and still be under 13’6″ overall height. I’ve include a picture of that below.
The largest piece to move was the Manitowoc 999 Crane body itself. At 87,500 lbs. it was a big piece of machinery. It has a modest width of 9’10” which still required permits and an escort was required in NY and CT for being over 80′ in length. An eight axle RGN trailer was used to haul this massive crane. Heavy Haul Trucking looks forward to another large crane hauling job like this one. It’s the kind of job we excel at and enjoy. I have included a video of a Manitowoc 999 Crane being assembled. It’s a bit loud on the music, so you might adjust your computer speakers. Enjoy
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My name is Travis Smith and I've been working in the trucking business since 1994 and with Heavy Haul Trucking since 2001. Our office knows about oversize, heavy and specialty loads and how to get your load exactly where you need it, safely and on time. I enjoy writing about Heavy Haul and if you're interested in learning more, please sign up for our free newsletter. If you need a shipping quote, just call (417) 312-2920 or visit our Free Freight Quote page for more details. Google+
