When a construction materials company realized that transporting a massive rock crusher for repairs would put them between a rock and a hard place, it knew who to call. The customer reached out to independent Landstar agent and owner of Cheatham Transport, Chris Cheatham.

His long-time customer knew that his experience and connections within the Landstar network would provide the solution to its challenge.

The customer, a producer of construction materials like gravel and stone, often faces the inevitable challenge of equipment wear and tear. In this case, the main shaft of a rock crusher’s head broke off, which required a quick solution for the company to meet its project timeline.

The Challenge

The massive crusher head needed to be transported from Pennsylvania to Utah for repair. While the head initially weighed 135,000 pounds, it was expected to be 25,000 pounds heavier post-repair due to the installation of a new shaft. Anything over 80,000 pounds is considered a heavy haul shipment.

Cheatham determined the transportation from Pennsylvania to Utah on a truck and trailer with 13 axles was needed to distribute the equipment’s weight properly. But with the added weight of a new shaft, he would need to arrange the return trip using a trailer with 16 axles.

Given the specific requirements, Cheatham knew he could count on the Landstar network to find the right equipment and an experienced business capacity owner (BCO) — the term Landstar uses for independent owner-operators leased to the company — to accommodate both trips. 

The Solution

The heavy/specialized team put him in touch with Frank Paleck, who has been handling heavy/specialized loads as an owner-operator leased to Landstar for nearly 30 years.

Paleck owns two hydraulic Faymonville HighwayMAX trailers, one model featuring 13 axles and the other 16 axles — perfect for this particular project.

Additionally, Paleck used his extensive knowledge of permitting and routing to help coordinate the permitting process across several states and adjust the scheduled route when it became necessary.

“The haul went smoothly once it was loaded, and it got to Utah in seven days,” Paleck said. Once it arrived, the customer had its own indoor crane ready to unload the equipment.

After the repairs are complete, Cheatham and Paleck will work together again to transport the equipment, 25,000 pounds heavier, back to Pennsylvania via the 16-axle trailer.

Cheatham is not only pleased to have satisfied this customer, but also to have fostered a new relationship to help future customers with similar challenges.

“Landstar’s heavy/specialized department supported my agency, and the Landstar network provided the capacity solution. I was able to give my customer the high quality specialized service they were looking for and to keep them apprised of progress along the way,” explains Cheatham.

As part of the Landstar network, independent Landstar agents and their customers have access to the specialized equipment and the right people with the right skills to safely manage every step of a project and crush it.