Some might remember their younger days of road-tripping in the car and marveling at the large trucks hauling construction machinery. With projects stretching across the Mid-South, it comes as no surprise that airtight planning is needed to get people and materials where they’re needed on time. Throw in the prospect of transporting the heavy tools for the job, and you’ve got a real challenge on your hands.
While it might be considered an odd name, a lowboy is a type of trailer that (unsurprisingly) sits low to the ground and is most commonly used for the transport of heavy equipment. Composed of 6 members, the gentlemen on our Lowboy Drivers team move several hundreds of thousands of pounds of machinery in any given week for our family of companies. Our Memphis-area transport needs are served by father/son duo Leslie and Jeremy Bone, along with Bradford Kelley. In our Batesville-area operations, you’ll find Eddie Hayes, Dennis Mason, and Cadarius Bland to meet your needs.
With that movement comes an array of challenges to navigate. Factor in equipment weight limits, checklists for loading/unloading, working around motorists to transport on major interstates and even narrow rural roads…the list goes on. In short, these guys have a full plate. Peco added, “An asphalt paver is over 80,000 pounds… When that equipment gets on our back, it becomes our responsibility.”
When asked about the cruciality of this job, Pete Ramey (Superintendent and Batesville-area Supervisor) remarked, “Well, sure it is. But they do an excellent job getting equipment to the job when the crew needs it, whether that’s dropping it off beforehand or during a job if they [encounter] a breakdown. They have to hustle up and get another piece of equipment there.”
He added, “Loading and unloading… that’s a hard job. But they rarely have incidents.” In fact, each member of our Lowboy Driver team regularly appears on our safe driving awards list at the close of each season. Why is that? Peco shared, “If something is unsafe, they speak up. When we work, it’s all about safety… We don’t cut corners and we don’t crack under pressure.”
With all of this in mind, it would make sense that this team is regularly praised for exemplifying our core value of stewardship and the pride they take in their roles. Pete shared, “These guys do their job well and take extra precautions.”
Peco closed with, “We’re like a family. We’re there for each other… That’s relationships and taking ownership of the job. I never have to worry about a piece of equipment being where it’s supposed to be the next morning.” Trust and pride… That’s what this work is all about and that’s what makes this team such an asset to our family of companies.
To Leslie, Jeremy, Bradford, Eddie, Dennis, and Cadarius – we thank you for your dedication that keeps us moving forward!
