Alaska West Express and AML move big CATs to Alaska

Alaska West Express and Alaska Marine Lines (AML) recently teamed up to move three CAT 777 dump beds and a large excavator to Alaska. The dump beds were manufactured in Mexico and moved by truck from Texas to Seattle before being loaded onto AML barges for delivery to Red Dog Mine. The beds were loaded on AML's last sailing of the season to the Kotzebue Sound, north of the Arctic Circle.According to Alaska West Express Dispatcher Jason Warberg, the size of the equipment and the length with the tractor and trailer qualified the moves as "super loads," requiring pilot cars, special permits, and detailed knowledge of regulations in each state. The 18-foot-wide loads traveled through Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, taking about 10 days to reach Seattle. Washington permits required police escort by two Washington State Patrol troopers from the Washington-Oregon border all the way to AML in Seattle. Seattle Police and Department of Transportation officers joined the convoy within their jurisdiction from Seattle city limits to the AML dock. The loads were hauled by Alaska West Express Drivers Randy Baxter and Don Robertson.

Alaska West Express also transported three CAT 395 excavators from Belgrade, MT, and Chehalis and Lacey, WA to AML's Seattle dock for a barge ride to Alaska. "Each excavator consisted of three loads. The main unit was 26-feet long by 12-feet high by 12-feet wide with a weight of 125,000 pounds. We loaded it to an 11-axle trailer for an overall length of 125 feet," explains Alaska West Express Dispatcher Mike Walls. "Matty Cottey was the driver."

Two more excavator loads were made up of the boom, stick, bucket, cylinders, and counterweight and were loaded onto two 53-foot, 3-axle step decks. The assembled weight for the excavators was 190,000 pounds.

"It takes great teamwork and the right equipment to pull off large projects like these," Jason says. "The moves required coordination across dispatch, drivers, permitting, marine operations, and customer teams."