WYDOT Warns of Slow Superloads
From far away when driving past them, those wind turbines used to generate power seem pretty small, but if you were to ever get close to them, you would see that they are massive and generate a lot of power even when moving slowly due to their sheer size.
They are so big, in fact, that the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) has sent out warnings on X that the next month or so will have wind turbine parts carried on the I-80.
Details
One example of the posts on X is as follows:
🚚SUPER LOAD🚚
— WYDOT District 1 (@wydot1) August 19, 2024
Transport will be moving a super load from Laramie to the truck parking on I-80 just west of Laramie beginning at 7AM TOMORROW. The transport will then move from there to Arlington, then Rock River, ending in Medicine Bow on Wednesday. Expect delays. pic.twitter.com/JUExshzi8v
As you can see from the images, the parts are massive when they leave the manufacturing plant and start heading to the construction site. They are so big that they take up both lanes on Interstate 80. For safety, protecting both the people and the cargo, the goods will be transported at a maximum of 30 MPH, far below the typical speed limit for that stretch of I-80.
Because much of I-80 in the area is only two lanes wide, this means that drivers who do not plan ahead will find their speed halved when traveling along the I-80. If crossing a bridge, that speed decreases further to 5 MPH.
WYDOT says that the largest of these transports will be 385 feet long, 26 feet wide, and weigh 1.5 million pounds. It hardly takes a trucking expert to know that is an order of magnitude larger than the average semi-truck load.
Traveling 30 MPH, the largest shipment of parts has a kinetic energy of 61.17 million Joules, equal to the energy of 30 pounds of TNT. It would probably be best to give it some space!
Conclusion
Our advice to you is if you plan to travel along the I-80 across Wyoming through September, you should either diligently watch WYDOT announcements for the shipments, ignore the I-80 completely, or be prepared for the risk of finding your average speed reduced immensely.
While the shipments are not actually explosive, they will cause damage equal to one should it be forced to an abrupt stop.
ABOUT TOPMARK FUNDING
TopMark Funding is a top-rated semi-truck financing and trailer financing company located in Roseville, CA. We specialize in commercial trucking and heavy equipment. Our mission is to become your long-term financial partner by helping you grow your trucking business and fleet.
We’re not here for the short-term, we’re on the long-haul with you!
We have financing options for trailers, semi-trucks, commercial trucks, and small businesses. We have great rates, low down payments, and flexible monthly payments regardless of credit history.
Learn more about Trailer Financing.
Fill out the contact form or give us a call at (866) 627-6644. One of our truck financing specialists will contact you as soon as possible to go over your truck lease needs and learn more about you and your business financing goals.
