When an international transportation and logistics company reached out to Omega Morgan regarding a time-sensitive wind energy project, our specialized transportation team out of Portland got to work. The challenge came from the high demand for wind energy components to outfit wind farms in Arlington, OR, and limited transport labor across the west coast where the components were due to arrive.

In an effort to avoid a loss in production value, our client needed 82 massive components transported from the Port of Vancouver to a distribution center (DC) in Arlington as quickly as possible.

TRANSPORTATION COORDINATION

The 82 wind energy components included 41 tower bases and 41 tower midsections. Because of the components’ high weights, our first task involved submitting superload permit requests for Washington and Oregon, which take about 30 days to receive.

We completed a route survey, but our team’s familiarity with the Port of Vancouver and the fact that Omega Morgan also runs the DC in Arlington eliminated the need for site visits—speeding up our planning process.

However, a large-scale paving project outside the port created logistical challenges as our loads needed to be scheduled around the paving. Additionally, other carriers faced the same issue as they attempted to transport loads out of the port. Our project manager stepped in to solve the complex logistical tangle and saved not only the timeline of Omega Morgan’s transport but the other carriers’ timelines as well.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT HAULING

Although the components’ arrival at the port had been delayed—further restricting our timeframe for delivery—our project manager had continually updated the superload applications. We were ready to roll when they finally came in.

With assistance from the port’s crews, our specialized transportation team loaded the first wind tubes onto our Aspen and Temisko double Schnabel trailers in mid-August, making the 140-plus mile journey to Arlington. Upon arrival at the DC, our team staged the trailers in position, and our DC crew assisted with the multi-step offloading process.

At any given time, two to three of our double Schnabel trailers were making the 140-plus mile trek with one component each for a total of 82 loads. Each trailer required four crew members, including a driver, front pilot, steerman, and a rear pilot car. In less than two months, Omega Morgan’s specialized transportation team had completed the delivery.

Thanks to our safe, efficient action, our client was able to deliver these components to local wind farms quickly and with no loss of production value. They appreciated our professionalism, the success of our transportation efforts, and our effective DC operation.

Read more details about this timely specialized transportation solution in our new case study.