Pretty cool, Sigcrazy. Thanks for posting.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:
Around here they use non-powered dollies that can be steered.

We also have a four axle steerable dolly. Each trip takes twice as long because you have to break it down for every steered corner. It also has less hp available for hills, and saves nothing in labor because you still need a tillerman. We run circles around those guys who use steerable dollies.

Cool post! When I started operating heavy equipment, it was a Euclid r35 powered by a Detroit diesel. It was loud, obnoxious but thrived on abuse. I was never so happy as the day I got to trade the R35 for a Caterpillar D7.

Like!

I've seen those before, years ago.

Great job fabbing those things as you need.

I'm humbled to be mentioned, even in jest, in the same post with such an awesome project!

Steer car named Desire.

What a cool truck/rat truck. Love those things. Looks like a blast to cruise with them.

Awesome machine.

It must take quite a bit of driver coordination to keep that rig together when in motion.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
That first picture it looked like you were building a mega rat rod truck, lowered, cut cab,

With a little patina paint that could be right out of Steve Darnells weld r up show...

I was thinking the same thing.

If nothing else, it would be easier than me driving a Kenworth at the drive thru window. What'll ya have?

Amazing information.
I’ve had a Class A CDL for a while but never hauled anything remotely that large.

How much do those beams weigh?

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Amazing information.
I’ve had a Class A CDL for a while but never hauled anything remotely that large.

How much do those beams weigh?

The heaviest we’ve ever done is 202,000 pounds, 180’ girder. However, that is on the other steer car with red fenders. It is a four axle. The new one we’re building will also have a tag and be able to go heavier.

When you get that long, it gets quite expensive, usually more than $30 per mile. It requires two police and two pilots per load. The UHP isn’t cheap. Some loads charge more than $10K to move 400 miles, and $2500 of that will go for cops/escort, per girder.

How does that work with the tow and the steer car rowing through the gears? What happens if one misses a gear? Do they both need to start over or with one pushing/pulling and the other rolling, can they catch it?

quote:

Originally posted by SPWAMike0317:
Awesome machine.

It must take quite a bit of driver coordination to keep that rig together when in motion.

The girder actually helps a bit with that.

When I’m lead truck, I usually just let the steer car push as much as he wants, and I add enough power to keep my speed. The steer car is usually wide open or drifting, with no real in between. When he sees my brake lights flash, he knows to give a brake assist. If it’s a panic brake, I’ll come on the radio with “BRAKE! BRAKE! BRAKE!” and he knows to give it everything he’s got, smoke ‘em up.

—-Hey lady in the Lincoln Navigator that cut between me and the escort cop and then came to a near stop right in front of a 140,000 lb girder load, that move saved your ass a few months ago, and you don’t even know it.

quote:

Originally posted by petr:
How does that work with the tow and the steer car rowing through the gears? What happens if one misses a gear? Do they both need to start over or with one pushing/pulling and the other rolling, can they catch it?

My son (the one in the video) has a lot of experience in the back, and makes it easy. From a stop, both trucks are in low to start rolling. Then when you hit rev limit, the lead truck splits or goes for second. The pusher goes straight from first to third, so when the lead truck comes out of second, the pusher picks up full power in third already in gear. From there, you’re up to 8-10 mph, and you just shift normally. 200,000 pounds doesn’t slow down much between shifts, so it’s not that difficult to time.

On hard pulls up hills, you get a feel for each truck and stagger each shift. The basic rule of thumb is the lead truck pulls like he’s alone, and the pusher does the best he can. One thing that’s nice is when approaching long grades, the pusher can go to idle and get super cooled, then hop in it on the hill and help when the pull truck starts to heat. It’s a bit of a ballet.

that is neat.... when the ALASKA Pipeline(early to mid 70's) was being built the pipe (48inch ID 3/8inch thick and 90ft lengths)(3 sections per trailer) was hauled on a steerable (X pattern crossing cables) dolly. attached to frame of tractor to dolly. if cables got out of adjustment or broke the rear dolly might try and pass(go around) the tractor. if every thing works it was a sight to see. ...................drill sgt.

Thanks for the explanation.

When I was in the towing business years ago there was a convoy of 3 trucks with steel girders on them, probably 80 foot long or so. Traffic stopped on the highway which caused the first and second truck to stop. The third truck missed those clues, missed the girder towards the driver's side, jumped over the dolly, slid all the way down the girder, jumped the rear of truck 2, and ended up in the back of the cab.

Everybody was OK, but the third truck was mangled badly. The second truck was derivable but missing the tail lights on the dolly. We got them separated and a heavy wrecker on the third truck. No working brakes, but they needed it off the highway. State police ran interference blocking all of the intersections so that the wrecker wouldn't need to stop, which was good, because it wasn't going to.

It runs! The International truck we used has been sitting for about a decade or so, maybe a little less. Here is the first start.

We have been busy moving the shop and delivering girders on our other two rigs. With Covid, the State of Utah has been balls-to-the-wall in an effort to build as much freeway while the traffic is low.

We should have the steer car up and ready by next week. I spent the last two days plumbing all the air, the electrical is mostly done, and we're ready with the new tires. So far, we are into this about $35,000.

This is too cool, its like some of the Trucks kids books I used to have and I thought they were just making this stuff up.

I hope you have an appreciation for the collective knowledge of that bunch of boy cobbling together these parts to work together like that.

I find it simply amazing.