This story started out a couple of weeks ago with a client needing to move some steel frames at 13’6 wide to a job site called Big Bird near San Francisco, California.
In the oversize load world, everything changes once you hit twelve plus feet in width, most states will require the use of at least one pilot car if not two, depending on routes taken.
As a broker I don’t look to other brokers for advice, I go to the guys who do the job. This time I was having some trouble finding someone willing to run the piece. Freight rates are so high right now a guy does not need to deal with the hassle of an oversize load to make good money. The headache of going into California with an oversize piece is not worth it for most. This is where I rely on those good friends, I have from coast to coast.
I had called Marek to offer him the load his reply was, “I am out of town right now, but I will do it for you next week for $$$$”. I thought to myself that’s a lot, I laughed with Marek and said well we will see if I can cover it. Time passed the rate climbed higher and with no takers to speak of Marek’s rate started to look right.
To prove out Marek’s rate
I needed to find at least one or two other carrier’s that were close in price, to justify the cost. When the truck’s I found started out with how much do you have to spend, it never ends well. In the end it turns out Marek was right on the money.
One thing about being oversize and dealing with the permits people out of California is, they are slow to produce simple permits.
I booked the load on Friday knowing we would not load him until next Wednesday. Marek ordered his permits, and we waited.
Next week came and I was able to load him to bring him out to the clients place of business directly. That was a nice perk for Marek he rolled in late and unloaded. Next, they loaded him with the wide load. Dawn came he finished tying the load down and made tracks for the California border.
Marek still did not have permits to cross into California. He shut down with a pilot car in tow and waited at the border. Morning came and still no permits. It was around 10am when he finally received his permits and crossed over into California.
Marek did manage to deliver the 13’6 wide steel frames to a construction site in Tracy California later that day.
Thank you Marek for helping out again, and making it happen!
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