This Story Behind The Shipment is big. So big that it required us to move mountains (figuratively speaking, of course) to make it happen.

Our story begins like many other ZMac stories, that is, to oversee the logistics of transporting an oversized load from Point A to Point B. This time, the load was an industrial gas compressor headed to a gas plant in Colorado.

A Compressor to Colorado

Industrial compressors play a pivotal role in the gas industry. By compressing the gas to an extremely high temperature, gas becomes pressurized to the point that it can continuously flow through a pipeline to its final destination for distribution or rerouted into storage. The very large engine and cooling system that make up an Industrial compressor are a critical part of the natural gas transport system. And, just like that natural gas requires safe and secure transport through a pipeline, so too that industrial compressor requires safe and secure transport on the road. That’s where we came in.

What’s The Story Behind The Shipment?

You might be wondering, just how oversized was this industrial compressor? The Compressor was 47’L x 23’4”W by 18’H and 1,700,000 pounds, with a loaded height of 22’H. The accompanying cooler required a secondary load which was 28’L x 11’11”W x 16’6”H and 32,000 lbs.

When you transport something that over-dimensional, it demands some creative problem-solving. Good thing that’s what we do best.

The first problem to solve was the trailer. We needed a trailer specially equipped for just this type of OD load. We scoured the United States, but no trailers existed that could do the job. We found exactly what we needed in Europe. A 10-line hydraulic Faymonville trailer – the very first one ever used in the US.

With the trailer secured, we moved on to more creative problem-solving. Due to its dimensions, the load required 2 civilian escorts, 2 state troopers, 2 bucket trucks, and a crane to lift the traffic signals and railroad crossing signs. And, did we mention the load had to be moved at night? Yes, this was quite a sight to see, with quite a story to tell.