With proven expertise in drawing cargo from 50 metres long to 250-tonne gross weight, OB Heavy Haulage is the expert in abnormal loads. Managing Director Oliver Brennan told us about the firm. The phrase "No job too big" is commonplace in business circles, whether it's the centrepiece of glossy fliers or emblazoned in stark lettering across company vans. But the reality is that there are jobs too big. Lots of them, across every business and industry sector. Few firms are able to voice that phrase without any fear of comeuppance. One which can, however, is OB Heavy Haulage. If size really does matter, it's best to visit the experts. The Dalystown, County Westmeath-based company has blossomed in the space of six years since its foundation, with Managing Director Oliver Brennan guiding things every step of the way. In the specialised market of heavy haulage, where manifold logistical problems offer themselves as obstacles on every route, OB Heavy Haulage should be the first port of call for any client wishing to transport abnormal loads. With a fleet of ten vehicles, ranging from three-axle to eight-axle trailers, low-loaders and extendable trailers, 44-tonne vehicles all the way to a 250-tonne behemoth, OB Heavy Haulage can take on any load without an inordinate degree of fuss. Company MD Oliver told Irish Trucker: "It is a niche market, and our workload can vary a lot from one day to the next. If it's classed as abnormal, be it length, height, width or weight, we can take it. "We draw a lot of bridge-beams for motorway bridge construction. Another area we specialise in is the transport of windmill sections such as blades, towers and turbines. With a lot of focus on environmental issues and the creation of green energy, there are plans for a lot of wind farms to be constructed throughout the country. Transporting those parts across long distances can be a big issue for a lot of hauliers but we offer that service without any problem." As befits its status as a leader in a specialist area, OB Heavy Haulage works without borders, drawing loads to and from every corner of Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe. Parts for wind turbines, for instance, come from Germany, while many steel bridge-beams are imported from Spain. The company also draws plenty of heavy plant and machinery all over Ireland. "We specialise in moving bigger plant machinery across the country," says Oliver, "including crushers, face shovels and loading shovels. Basically, anything from a 1.5 tonne piece of excavation machinery to a job which might weigh up to 250 tonnes, from loads seven metres high and wide or 50 metres long, we can do it." As the field of heavy haulage is a highly specialised area, it has taken a lot of investment on several fronts to establish OB Heavy Haulage as a leading player in its market sector. Whereas a regular haulage company startup might be able to start work with one driver, one truck and one client, the specialised heavy haulier has many factors to consider before agreeing to take on any job. OB Heavy Haulage employs eight drivers, all of whom have undergone rigorous training in working with abnormal loads, while the company also faces the necessary expense of having its own fleet of escort vehicles. And that's only the beginning. "Before we start out on any job," explains Oliver, "we have to plan the journey meticulously. We then need to be in constant contact with the relevant authorities in the respective jurisdictions. Between myself and Karen Walsh in the office, we must liaise with the Gardai in Ireland, the police in Northern Ireland and Britain and the relevant forces across Europe, in order to organise route plans and keep all the necessary people up-to-date on the load's progress. We recently carried a 100-tonne piece of machinery from Germany to Ireland, and from start to finish that was a two-week job. All in all, from initial driver training to the logistics of drawing one abnormal load across land borders and overseas, it's a big operation. With heavy haulage, it's not a case of someone ringing me up on a Wednesday and getting a load to you by the Friday!" Given the rate of progression since OB Heavy Haulage came into existence in 2003, the natural plan is to continue the firm's development by expanding. However, with the worldwide economy in an ongoing state of flux, Oliver is understandably keen to avoid any absolutely unnecessary expenditure towards that goal, at least until the economic picture in Ireland and further afield begins to show definite signs of recovery. "Hopefully within the next year or two we'll be thinking about expanding," he says. "But everything is a bit unsure at the moment, across the whole of Europe. It's tough with the way the economy is, but then again it's tough for everybody and anyone who says they aren't struggling is telling a lie. We carry out jobs for several big Irish companies, as well as companies in Germany, Norway, Spain and Holland, so we'll just have to wait and see how things pan out for everybody before we fully develop any plans into the future." Tweet

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