In the past, operators had to adapt their needs to a trailer, but today trailers are manufactured to adapt to the operator’s needs. That makes a big difference for companies like Express Mondor, who specialize in transporting oversize equipment.
Established in 1995, Express Mondor of Quebec, Canada originally served local agricultural customers before expanding to general transportation in the Montreal-Toronto corridor. Shortly thereafter, the family-owned company found its niche in the growing demand for moving oversized equipment in the area. The ability to transport large equipment opened up a big market for the business.
“Our main market is specialized transportation, typically in the petrochemical, wind turbine and construction industries,” says Billy Mondor, vice president of Express Mondor. “We have customers in general transportation of smaller things as well, but the big equipment that needs a good, sturdy trailer keeps us busy.”
The Big Haul
Tractors, harvesters, power transformers, pavers, wind turbines — if it’s big, Express Mondor hauls it. Transporting these large loads can take anywhere from one day to several weeks.
“Our business is successful because of the fact that oversized loads are awkward and require specialized transportation equipment,” says Mondor. “Additionally, it is important to haul the load safely in compliance with standards, including logistics. The expertise we provide is critical for these big hauls, getting it done safely and efficiently.”
Adapting to the Load
Since day one, Express Mondor has used XL Specialized Trailers for its equipment needs. The ability to customize XL’s trailers with the features the hauler needs allows it to easily adapt to the load. Currently, the company features an XL 80 MFG (Mechanical Full-width Gooseneck) and XL 80 HDE (Hydraulic Detachable Extendable) in its trailer lineup.
“We love how lightweight XL products are, but above all, they are so reliable — in 22 years of operation, we have never had any of our XL’s break down at the structure level and that is really remarkable,” says Mondor. “With the range of products we deliver, nothing is ever the same. Because of this, the XL extendable has really been a fantastic trailer and is so adaptable in all circumstances. It really reduces the headaches of trying to figure out how to load equipment with large dimensions.”
20 Tons of Danger
From dimensions to distance, Express Mondor recently made one of the toughest trips in its history. It was a trip that would test their crew as well as their trailer.
Using its XL 80 extendable, Express Mondor traveled to the port in Prince Edward Island to pick up a tourist boat delivered from the United Kingdom.
Weighing 20 tons, the boat was 14 feet wide and 40 feet long, making the job tricky from the start. If the awkward dimensions weren’t enough, the crew faced a dangerous task of driving over several narrow bridges, as well as avoiding trees and wires.
Jobs like this present many risks: scratching up the boat and/or making a mess in its wake by taking out trees and wires along the way.
They successfully covered 1,000 miles of ground in crossing the Canadian Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) to deliver the boat to a Canadian federal company in time for tourist season during the summer at Canal Rideau in Ottawa.
“It was a challenging move for us, but the XL 80 did the job like it always does,” says Mondor. “The boat’s dimensions made it very difficult. Not only was the boat long, but also tall and wide. It is always a question of height when discussing oversize loads. We can manage the aspect of the widths very well, but height is difficult with obstacles such as bridges, trees and wires. It required a very concentrated effort by our team.”
Making it back with plenty of time to spare, the cargo remained secure and unharmed.
Doing Right by the Customer
Heavy hauls present unique sets of challenges from loading to transporting and logistics. However, the goal at Express Mondor always remains the same: deliver the product on time and unscathed. The boat, which could test any company, was no match for a good trailer and a top-notch crew. Even with specialized trailers, hauls are not as easy as Express Mondor makes them look. When working with material weighing tons, sometimes it is just better to leave it to the experts.
for more information:
XL Specialized Trailers is a market-leading manufacturer of heavy haul and specialized trailers, XL offers superior hauling solutions to fit any application. For more, visit www.xlspecializedtrailer.com.
Modern Contractor Solutions, October 2020
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