Heavy haul trucking in Alaska: unique challenges call for uniquely conscientious drivers.

• Author: Cottrell, Paula
• Position: TRANSPORTATION - Geographic overview

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Heavy haul trucking in Alaska is not for the weak at heart. While Hollywood and Ice Road Truckers have painted Alaskan truckers as wild renegades, the truth is that it takes a special kind of person and company to manage the enormity of some of the loads that travel Alaska's road systems.

Heavy haul loads are classified as any truck carrying a load that is in excess of normal weight and measurement standards set by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), the agency responsible for highway safety oversight. Any load exceeding these limitations is considered a heavy haul load and is required to have special permitting that addresses all possible safety and logistical concerns regarding each individual load.

The freight being delivered around Alaska can be anything from a drilling rig that is being relocated from Cook Inlet to a site on the North Slope to large heavy equipment necessary to complete infrastructure projects along the road system. The thousands of items that have been freighted across Alaska are as diverse as the companies that haul them.

There are several companies that perform heavy hauling operations in Alaska. DOT statistical permitting records show that some of the most active heavy hauling companies are Carlile Transportation Systems, Alaska West Express, Northland Services, Ace Transport, H&H Equipment, Southeast Road Builders, Lynden Transport, Northstar Trucking and Granite Construction, although there are many smaller companies that also conduct heavy haul operations in the state.

Most heavy haul trucking supports construction, mining and infrastructure projects as well as oil and gas exploration and production operations across Alaska. The specialized industry of heavy haul trucking took an upswing in the mid-1990s when oil support companies began constructing truckable oil field modules within the state of Alaska. Other heavy haul freight is shipped into Alaska and offloaded by experienced Longshoremen in Anchorage or Valdez.

DOT AND HEAVY HAUL TRUCKING

With the increase in heavy haul traffic, DOT's role as an industry safety regulator has increased. A permit is required for every heavy haul load and this permitting process can be quite extensive depending on the magnitude of the project. According to Aves Thompson, executive director of the Alaska Trucking Association (ATA), the DOT supervised permitting program is necessary is ensuring that additional safety precautions are taken...