Considering investing in OSOW

I have tried to stay out of this discussion

I will offer a few opinions take them for what you will. I run a single 11 axle set up - so I understand only a fraction of the pain of running a big setup. I can just see the horizon of 13 axle but couldn’t operate one on my resources.

You are not just starting as a 13 axle but per your comments a perimeter 13 axle trailer. The distinction being that you will require a reasonable support network to operate that type of set up - just storing building the trailer is going to require a large yard and heavy equipment. At your weights and dimensions you are going to need support vehicles to travel with the loads and even in some states a replacement tractor. The routes will need to be surveyed and the load plans engineered as you approach 250k and 60-80 in the well.

Do you have a steerman lined up for the trailer? I can tell you after doing just a few steerable loads that they can/will make or break the trip.

These are just hurdles for you starting up but a single trailer operation you will have no depth to replace a part or a person of something “happens”.

Can it be done - sure
Are your pockets deep enough? I don’t know.

I would suggest you look at the competitors in this segment and ask yourself - why are there no single truck operators...Perkins, Miller, American, Turner, PHH (Outwest), Contractors Cargo

All of these companies (like them or hate them) have some things in common

1 they can do Everton house from engineering to route surveys to pilots

2 they have multiple resources if a they have a failure- and they do -

3 they have the financial resources the customers are likely to require Incase something goes wrong with a load.

So I am not sure what value you are selling to your potential customers?

It can’t be experience or reliability or even availability. So it can only be price and that is a risky proposition. If you miss on one deal from a cost estimate standpoint or a state decides to shut you down for a month while they re-evaluate your route - your profit will evaporate quickly and your working cash could be stretched pretty thin.

And apologies to @wore out but Cow hauling and the type of heavy hauling you are talking about don’t have anything in common.

Please understand you are not my direct competition- so I have no actual stake in this discussion and am only suggesting that this may be a steeper hill than you think.

Good luck

Ron

 

I will try and clarify

Replacement tractors - when you read the requirements for Colorado Super load permits - loads over 200,000 are supposed to have a stand by tractor traveling with the load. I have never run a 200k plus permit in Colorado - so i do not know specifically that’s they are still requiring it or enforcing it. I rarely permit for over 200k and usually when I do it for convenience on axle weights - on 11 axles I am mostly in the 190 plus range. Some of the eastern states like NY come to mind. I don’t by design run east of Indiana or north of Tennessee.

Load plans - The most difficult poart of the engineering I was referring to was the traffic engineering - when is counterflow required and can corners be made for given dimensions. What curbs, poles, lights, signs etc are going to need to moved. It may be not be a large part as a regular 13 axle that is around 130’ long but with the perimeter trailer you are going to be substantially longer. You may not be big enough to run into issues but then again you may. If it were me I would being trying to reach out to a project engineer from one of the big project HH companies and trying to buy some consulting time for some of your typical “loads”. I just went to load a 118k piece that not only had no load plan but no tie down points. it took days and a bunch of steel fabrication just to get the point of loading. The piece took 2 years to make and assemble and was worth 8 figures. I would not count on the customer for any information with the exception of maybe a drawing with a CG marked (it may or may not be correct based on how many parts have been removed for transport - transformers from ABB fall in this category)

Steerman - I know your driver has experience but he cannot run both ends of the trailer in close maneuvering situations. If you think HH drivers are a pain in the but try these steer guys. Trust me I have just run some 230’ long OAL loads and driving the front is not the hard part. If you are going steerable - you better get a good on board.

Hope that’s help

 

Wish you had. I was wanting to see this partner with all of this experience do his thing.

You’re a good Man, Big Ronnie. Six back quiet.

 

Perhaps OPIE should write an $800k check to his friend and hope that his 13axle experience isn’t 13axle lunch counter experience?

 

I've never had a customer supply load plans, they always ask me for the load plan and in some cases engineer drawings. You mention you have experience in engineering, but is your experience in static loads or dynamic loads? Big difference.

As Rontonio says " So I am not sure what value you are selling to your potential customers". You don't seem to have an answer for that question. That is a major problem.