the last word

March 1, 2005
What goes up will roll forward Apparently that's the case if Minty's Moving has anything to do with it. Recently, the Onanole, Manitoba-based rigger got the call to move a 160-ft. tall, 280-ton grain elevator. Vertically. Over 20 miles. In the winter. Minty put three Kenworths and a special dolly system to the task of moving the behemoth, which took eight days. We had to go from a deep valley up and
What goes up will roll forward

Apparently that's the case if Minty's Moving has anything to do with it. Recently, the Onanole, Manitoba-based rigger got the call to move a 160-ft. tall, 280-ton grain elevator. Vertically. Over 20 miles. In the winter. Minty put three Kenworths and a special dolly system to the task of moving the behemoth, which took eight days.

“We had to go from a deep valley up and down hills with grades as steep as 13% going up and 10% going down,” said fleet owner Harold Minty. “We had to maneuver through sharp turns. And the Manitoba Department of Highways had to grade the snow off the road and spread salt and sand to clear the way.”

Minty used an 84-wheel, self-leveling dolly system to keep the grain elevator level, even on a 13% grade. Operators manually adjusted the dollies to stay level side-to-side while the system automatically adjusted to keep things end-to-end level.

The fleet's “workhorse” '92 Kenworth T800 powered by a 425-hp. Cat mated to an 8-speed “double under” transmission with a 4-speed auxiliary provided was in the front. An '80 W900 with a 450-hp. Cat and a '69 W900 with a 290-hp engine pushed from the back on inclines and helped brake going downhill. Both W900s use a 5-speed with a 4-speed auxiliary.

“When we're driving down the road on a job, we want to project a top image and Kenworth is a big part of that,” Minty notes. “We use the ‘92 every time we have a big load to move and it always comes through. It only has 747,000 kilometers (467,000 miles) so I expect it to keep going strong at least 10 more years.”

While this job marks the tallest structure ever moved by Minty's, it wasn't the heaviest. In 2002, Minty's moved a 95-ft. grain elevator that weighed in at a whopping 400 tons.

General celebrates

This year marks the 90th anniversary of Continental Tire North America's General Tire brand, which dates to September 29, 1915, when two Akron businessmen, William F. O'Neil and Winfred E. Fouse, founded the General Tire and Rubber Company.

Continental points out that O'Neil and Fouse and company revolutionized tire making with the invention of the low-pressure General Balloon Jumbo and were behind such other innovations as carbon black latex, oil-extended rubber and Gen-tech adhesive for tire cord. Hannover, Germany-based Continental AG in 1987 purchased the operation.

‘There are drivers out there looking for jobs. And they're much more conscientious shoppers than in the past.”
— Dale Lawless, vp of recruiting, Roberson Transportation, Mahomet, IL

But it runs!

Looks don't count in the “America's Ugliest Car” nationwide contest conducted by the Fontana, CA-based Vehicle Donation Processing Center. This month the center will award these handsome trophies: the Gold Pinto Award, the Silver Pacer Award, and the Bronze Gremlin Award to three lucky heap owners. “The Ugliest Car in America Contest is a fun way to spread the word that car donation continues to be a viable option for those looking to save on their taxes while avoiding the hassles of selling their heaps and helping their favorite charity,” says spokesperson Pete Palmer. For more information on The Vehicle Donation Processing Center, Inc. and the search for the Ugliest Car in America, please go to www.DonateCarUSA.com.

Page-turner

First Class, the Peterbilt publication that profiles customers and their trucking equipment, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a commemorative edition. The 52-page special issue features long-standing Peterbilt customers as well as articles on such topics as the company's logo and celebrities who have appeared in the magazine, including Johnny Cash and Reba McEntire. The inside cover spread is a collage of every First Class cover.

“The mission of First Class has been to showcase customers who lead by example,” says assistant gm Bruce Ewald. “The editorial content focuses on both creating a portrait of our customers and illustrating the unique applications of equipment and business practices that set them apart from their peers. First Class has been a staple of Peterbilt's communication efforts for a quarter of a century, and it's one of the country's longest running company-sponsored magazines.”

To read the anniversary issue online, visit the Owner's Gallery at www.peterbilt.com. To order a print edition, call 800-552-0024.

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