This is our through-the-windshield shot of a gigantic earthmover being escorted by DPS cruisers this morning going west on McDowell Road. The wheels of the vehicle probably needed a wide-load sign themselves.
We caught up to the procession ahead of us to take this shot, observing as the tractor-trailer's driver moved into oncoming lanes (cleared by the state troopers) to avoid taking out the overhanging streetlights. A similarly escorted load had driven by moments earlier.
Robert Bailey, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety had this to say about the load:
It originated in Pinto Valley, Gila
County, just outside of Globe. The ultimate destination of this load
is California. DPS escorted these two units from Pinto Valley to
I-10 at Cotton Lane.
The load was moved by two heavy haul
transporters Performance Transport Inc. and Empire Transport.
The load was a CAT 785 Haul /
Truck and a CAT 785C Haul Truck Chassis.
The first load had a gross weight
of 248,725. Length 110' feet, Width 19'11", Height 16'0".
The second unit gross weight was 246,000,
Length 108'0" Width 19'11'', Height 16'1"
The Caterpillar 785 is typically configured as one of those oversize Tonka-like dump trucks usually seen working open-pit mines. A few minutes more of screwing around on the Internet also turned up a gem of a video for big rig lovers -- a similar Cat 783 taking out a pickup truck:
