Heavy-Haul Insights

As its name implies, the specialized transportation industry moves loads that require specific knowledge and equipment because they are larger, heavier or more complex than standard freight.

The specialist companies that operate in this vital industry move everything from power generation and distribution equipment, construction machinery and industrial machines, to 1,500-ton bridge sections, refinery vessels, tugboats and space shuttles.

Heavy-haulers’ customers come from all sectors of the economy.

They include power companies, infrastructure constructors, manufacturing, high-tech, medical facilities, petroleum production, data centers, freight forwarders and hundreds more. 

A market analysis published on LinkedIn this spring estimated that the oversize/overweight (OS/OW) transportation industry in the Americas was worth $8.5 billion in 2024 and will grow to $12.3 billion by 2033. 

The national organization for the specialized transportation industry in North America is the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA).

Chris Smith is vice president of the SC&RA’s transportation sector.

He leads the organization’s advocacy and educational programs that support members who work in specialized transportation and their suppliers.

One of the many things he’s working on now is the educational program for the SC&RA’s 2026 Specialized Transportation Symposium, which will be held Feb. 24-26 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Expert Insights

To learn about current conditions in the OS/OW, or heavy-haul industry, we interviewed Smith and representatives from three of the country’s leading heavy-haul companies: Kenneth Bernardo, president of Bay Crane Companies, Long Island City, New York; Robby Kauffman, terminal manager for BOSS Heavy Haul LLC, Dayton, Texas; and Mike McDonald, vice president of NessCampbell Crane + Rigging, Hillsboro, Oregon.

Challenges

As one can easily imagine, the heavy-haul, or OS/OW business can present many challenges.

To get an overview, we asked the SC&RA’s Smith about the top-of-mind issues he’s hearing about most often. 

“Many people in the industry would like to see regulations be more uniform from state to state, would like to get permits more quickly and easily and are wondering about the effect of new technology, particularly artificial intelligence,” he said.

To get perspectives from some heavy-haul providers, we talked with representatives of the three previously mentioned OS/OW hauling companies.

We first asked about their greatest challenges and how they’re addressing them.

Bay Crane’s Bernardo named several. “The oversize and overweight business has a huge number of challenges,” he said. “They include the increasing cost of equipment, the attracting and retaining top-notch drivers and riggers, coordinating super loads with government and all of that highlighted by a hyper-competitive pricing environment.”

BOSS Heavy Haul’s Kauffman noted that the industry faces two major challenges. “One is issues with permitting and routing, which seem to grow daily,” he said. “The other is a shortage of qualified people to do the work.”

Kauffman added, “From drivers to trailer operators, it has become difficult to find the right people.”

To address that issue, he said, BOSS has a strong training program focused on developing industry newcomers into a position of trust to perform jobs safely and efficiently.

NessCampbell’s McDonald listed the permitting process, changing regulations and route restrictions that can vary by state, county or even city as his top three challenges.

He added, “On top of that, we often face narrow windows of time for moves, traffic coordination and working around existing infrastructure like bridges and utilities.”

McDonald said that NessCampbell addresses those challenges proactively. “Our team works closely with state and local agencies early in the process to secure the right permits and coordinate escorts. We also conduct thorough route surveys to identify potential obstacles before they become issues. We also establish clear communications between dispatch, crews and our clients,” he said.

Keys to a Successful Haul

BOSS Heavy Haul’s Kauffman believes that a qualified workforce on all levels from the office to the field is key to successful heavy hauling.

“BOSS focuses on executing the plan precisely and keeping our clients informed throughout the process,” he said.

He also noted that equipment dealers are an important part of the project team. “We rely on dealers to provide the equipment we need to perform jobs safely and efficiently,” he said.

NessCampbell’s McDonald emphasized having a custom-tailored plan as being one key to success. 

“Every haul is different, so we approach each project with a customized plan, from route surveys and engineering to equipment selection and logistics,” he said.

“The second key is having a skilled, experienced team,” McDonald added. “Our operators, drivers and project managers know how to anticipate challenges and how to work as a coordinated unit to meet them. We also prioritize safety and compliance, understanding weights and restrictions.”

Working With Customers

How do successful heavy haulers work with customers in order to plan moves and provide the right equipment?

According to BOSS and NessCampbell, communication and know-how are both vital.

BOSS’ Kauffman noted that once a customer submits a request for a quote, BOSS Heavy Haul evaluates the project requirements to determine the most effective execution plan.

“Our team identifies the optimal hauling solution to ensure the move is handled safely, efficiently and cost-effectively so we can deliver the best value to our customers,” he said.

NessCampbell’s McDonald said that for his company, every project starts by listening to the customer in order to fully understand the scope of the project, what’s being moved, where it’s going and the schedule.

“From there,” McDonald said, “our team assesses the route, identifies potential challenges and determines the best equipment configuration for the load and route.”

Trends

Bay Crane’s Bernardo noted two specific trends he sees in the OS/OW hauling industry.

One is that “the volume of projects has increased dramatically recently,” though he didn’t specify what is driving that growth.

The other trend Bernardo mentioned is that the use of new technology “has really helped Bay Crane’s ability to route and model the large, specialized loads we move.”

BOSS’ Kauffman noted two trends.

The first is that the volume of OS/OW work is currently high, but that well-qualified carriers are becoming harder to find. He noted that two particularly busy sectors are data centers and solar farms.

The second trend is that permitting and routing for large loads is becoming more difficult.

“That’s particularly true in states that don’t have the resources to move the process along in a timely manner,” he said.

Tracking Performance

The only expert to talk about how his company measures performance was NessCampbell’s McDonald.

He noted that the company measures a project’s success by timeliness, safety, compliance with governmental regulations and most importantly, customer satisfaction.

As for measuring equipment performance, McDonald said, “Reliability, utilization and safety are the big ones. We monitor equipment uptime and maintenance schedules. Every piece of equipment goes through regular inspections and preventive maintenance checks that we track digitally so we can see trends or catch small issues early.”