The Seattle Times recently published an article highlighting Omega Morgan’s expertise in Specialized Transportation Services. In just two nights, our Specialized Transportation team out of Seattle relocated a giant transformer for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) from a rail siding to its new home near Goldendale, WA. It was an impressive scene, between three semi-trucks and a trailer the length of a football field. The combined weight of the rigs and transformer came in at nearly one million pounds and required a “superload” permit for the 47-mile journey.

Long expeditions like this with massive equipment require detailed route planning to guarantee efficiency with the lowest disruption to traffic possible. We designed the entire route along State Route 14 and U.S. Highway 97, meaning we had to account for everything from bridges and subgrades to guardrails and powerlines. The article emphasizes the importance of specialized transportation planning, referencing photos of “fatigue damage” from overweight trucks that tried to carry loads across bridges but failed. Careful planning meant failure wasn’t an option for this trip.

On Monday, the first leg of the trip, the transformer was moved slowly at speeds of 15 mph from the starting point. Our Seattle team used three semi-trucks and a 360-foot trailer with 48 axles for the move. A Kenworth C500 semi-truck hauled the load, while two Kenworth T800 semi-trucks provided pushing power from the rear. By Wednesday, the team had completed the 47-mile journey, and the transformer had reached its final destination.

It was an honor to see the Seattle team mentioned in a local publication. No matter the size, Omega Morgan strives to execute all specialized transportation services with strategy and the customer in mind. Our modular equipment and experienced field teams enable us to customize solutions for the specific needs of the project in a time and cost-effective manner. It’s with these metrics in mind that we are committed to #doingtheimpossibledaily.

Read the Seattle Times article and our case study.