Episode 99: The Standard Behind Great Heavy Haul

In this episode of the Keep Trucking Personal podcast, Tyler Kivi pulls back the curtain on what really separates successful heavy haul operations from the rest of the industry. While the massive loads, multi-axle setups, escorts, and police details grab attention, Tyler explains that heavy haul isn’t difficult because it’s flashy or oversized... it’s difficult because the margin for error is razor thin. Drawing from real-world experience across dispatch, operations, project planning, and time behind the wheel, he breaks down why planning, discipline, and clear communication matter more than speed or horsepower. From permits and routing across multiple states to weather windows, crane schedules, and site access, one missed detail can cascade into costly delays felt most by the driver. Tyler emphasizes that the best heavy haul moves aren’t exciting at all... they’re boring, predictable, and intentional. He also offers perspective for drivers looking to transition into heavy haul, why hiring and training matter, and why “being ready” is about mindset and preparation, not just experience. The takeaway is simple but powerful: when a heavy haul move goes exactly as planned, it isn’t luck, it’s the result of disciplined work done long before the truck ever turns a wheel. This episode reflects the standards and values behind Kivi Bros. Trucking and the belief that boring, well-communicated freight moves are the real mark of professionalism.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, welcome back to Keep Trucking Personal. My name is Tyler Keevey, and I'm your host. I want to talk about Heavy Hall today. And this is a question I get all the time. And I have a few previous episodes where we've interviewed heavy haul drivers or we've talked about heavy haul and how to continue setting yourself up for success. But it keeps coming back, and it's something I think every driver gets that itch. Maybe not every driver, but a lot of drivers get that itch. Like, what does it take to get into that? And then also from the outside looking in, a lot of people go, Wow, you know, right? Like they have big questions about the big loads and how that happens. And and it usually the typical like conversation starters, like, man, that heavy haul stuff must be hard. Those loads are huge, right? And that's true. The freight is big, but heavy haul isn't hard because the freight is big. Heavy haul is hard because the margin for air is very small. And so that's the difference, right? I think the big loads, the flashy, you know, multi-axles, super long, escorts, police, bucket trucks, all of that makes a difference. But there's no room for error. There's such a level up when you think about it, and there's no room for vague pickup times, right? Like if you have a crane appointment or a huge load, they have to have space cleared and the equipment ready. You have to have all the details. Even though sometimes customers try to give us partial information and we have to piece it together, it's very challenging and we can't afford last-minute surprises or you know the classic mentality of we'll figure it out on the road. There's some truth to that. You have to have a little bit of grit to get it done no matter what, but you have to plan. And the approach might limp you through, right? Kind of we'll figure it out, but it will challenge you in heavy hall. And I've been on different sides throughout this industry, right? I've been in the shop to dispatch to operations to project planning. And heavy hall has taught me the same lesson over and over again. Planning and communication matter more than speed. And that is a challenge for many drivers because they come from the flatbed side, which is volume-based and you're always trying to push production, which is true, right? You have to drive the truck to make money. But in heavy hall, you don't win by being the fastest. You win by being the most prepared. Okay? So if you are wanting to transition to heavy hall, and right now you're in flatbed or whatever mode of transportation you're in, and you're knocking down 650 miles a day in your love and life, and you want that extra challenge, you will walk into a change. Now, that's not to say you're not going to get all those miles, you still can get knocked down miles, but it changes. Everything changes. When you go from permits to routing to escorts to the access to the site, timing, weather windows, crane availability, customer readiness, and your own readiness, all of those have been tested throughout this last couple weeks in our heavy hall department. Specifically the weather. That weather puts you in your places and stops you right there. There's not room for any cowboy. You can't go. The state stops you. You're done. And if any one of those items gets overlooked, the entire move feels it. You start to back up and wonder what's going on. Why is this cascading? Why is it rolling downhill? And the people who pay for it aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet. It's the driver sitting on the shoulder waiting for the escort that didn't show up or it wasn't planned ahead. The crew on site burning hours because the gate wasn't unlocked or the crane wasn't scheduled appropriately. The customer very upset because they paid for a crane that is not going to get used. The project team scrambling because now that critical shipment is not there. And the customer losing confidence because no one gave them the full picture. And that's from customer, the trucking company, and the trucking company to the driver, and so on and so forth. You get it. That's where heavy haul gets expensive and stressful very fast. And here's something I've learned the hard way that heavy hall magnifies every weakness in your process. I can attest to that 100%. If your communication is sloppy and you're not ahead of it, heavy hall will expose it. You'll start to have questions and it just surfaces. There's no avoiding it. If your planning is rushed, heavy hall will punish you on it. It will make you test your mental capacity when everything starts to fall apart. And when you think of routing, consider this. You might start in Texas, for example, going to Minnesota. You might have a Texas route, but does it marry up with your Oklahoma route? Okay, well, does Oklahoma marry up with Nebraska or Kansas or you know, Missouri, do those all align? And so sometimes you're having to almost work backwards on your trip to say, okay, I can get from here to here, but now I have to work it all the way through. So you can understand how these weaknesses surface. And if you start to get under the gun or under pressure, it compounds. And that's very hard. So if you're relying just on heroics, right, like somebody that's a veteran to get through this versus having a system in place and being proactive and preemptive in all of the processes, it's going to humble you. And it's done it to me. Like I am not immune to this. That's why I can speak so close to it. There's no hiding from it. And when heavy hall goes sideways, the burden always falls on the driver first. You are the one that feels it the most because if it's sitting, you're the one sitting there. If it's dealing with law enforcement or DOT, you're the one dealing with it. It's the one answering questions that they shouldn't have to. If you walk into a job site and the customer blows you up because you're late and maybe you didn't know that, they're the one feeling all the stress of everyone's missed details. So you can see how it starts from the top down and even communication from the driver to the office. Every detail matters when it comes to heavy, wide, high, and long. And that's just the game. That's how it is. That's why it's so particular in who does it and who succeeds and who does very well when they're in it. And the best heavy haul moves that I've ever seen were not flashy. In fact, they were the complete opposite. No one was chest thumping, you know, this is all me. No one was rushing. There was no improvising. It was really boring. You didn't have to actually get excited over it, your heart rate didn't raise. Everything was predictable. People were calm throughout it, and everybody communicated, and we communicated well, and we all knew the plan and what we were trying to do. And if we got into a pinch, we knew what a backup plan is, or we could prepare for one quickly because we had studied the route. And everyone knew who to call if something changed throughout the whole process. And that wasn't accidental. That was very intentional. And that's our mission as we continue to improve as a heavy haul department is to become intentional over every decision and be proactive and understand what equipment is being used and why it's being used and trying to make sensible, logical decisions. Because in this game, it's not just as easy as a system telling you send this truck or send that truck. Every piece of equipment is different and requires a unique a unique setup, whether it's the driver or the equipment or state level requires different. So you can see how many decisions have to go into it. And everyone thinks heavy hall is all about horsepower and how many axles and and what kind of iron you're pulling. And those things matter, don't get me wrong. Those are feather in your hat, and it feels great when you see pictures of it. But they're table states. The real separator is the discipline and the discipline in planning and discipline in communication. Discipline when you're saying, we're not ready yet. Hold on, I need another day. And like I said, these last couple weeks had tested us because some of the road conditions on a state level lifted the ban, but they weren't ready for travel yet. You have to be able to make that decision because sometimes you feel gun and you're fresh. So you have to watch it. And you know, discipline is slowing down so you don't have to clean up a mess later, being confident in your route, studying your route, understanding where you're headed and why, knowing your turns, even though you have escorts and bucket trucks, and even police for that matter, they are not supposed to know your route better than you are. You are supposed to be the expert in that route. And projects will succeed, not because you know something went wrong, which I have seen them succeed, but because when something did not go wrong, everybody knew what was supposed to be done and how to handle it. And that's leadership, that's the professionalism, that's respect for people doing the work. And I have respect for the drivers and I understand what they go through since I've been there and been able to do it. Gives me a greater level of appreciation. And so when I think about the standard we try to operate by, it's very simple. Let's not choose chaos, let's not rely on luck, let's not treat drivers like shock absorbers for bad planning here. Let's aim for boring, let's aim for predictable, let's aim for clear communication from start to finish. I've said this many times. Communication in this industry is the lowest hanging fruit. There's technology to complement you everywhere. You can buy as many pieces of technology as you want and bolt them on your system. Communication is paramount. Relationships are built on that foundation. And in Heavy Hall, boring is beautiful, and communication is paramount. So there's no margin for error, for sloppiness. You have to remember to be prepared. I see so much clickbait out on social media where drivers apply here, apply now for heavy hall, apply this. And we've been there, we've tried, it's tricky. You can't just broadcast that. This is part of your DNA, this is part of who you are. You have to be confident in that driver and their skill set. And we try to do that very diligently. That's why it's best to hire from within. Because you can understand that driver's skill set and see how they communicate. A resume doesn't always give you on-the-job training, and that's the difference. So be aware of what you see out there and what you're clicking on. Try to find a company that's going to support you throughout the process and gear you up for it. And if someone tells you you're not ready yet, don't take it like it's an end-all be-all. Understand that there's opportunity to grow and people have to change. Sometimes a job requires a different standard throughout the process. And it's okay to understand that you're not there. And when we all get it right, and when everyone's aligned, when the move goes exactly how it was planned, that's not luck. That's the result of doing the work before the truck even turns a wheel. And that's like picturing a boxer in the ring. The fight is not the most important part of that job. It's all the training before the fight. That's what makes the difference. Before he even steps a foot in that ring, the training that he's done leading up to it is the difference, and often is what makes them a winner or loser. So the next time you are interested in heavy haul or you see a truck going down the road, and whether it's large, huge, or just heavy, understand what goes into it and hope that that is a boring trip for that driver and for that company because that means things were planned and executed well. And that's the standard worth holding. Keep trucking personal.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

We appreciate you taking the time to explore the heart and soul of TV Brothers trucking with us. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review to let us know your thoughts. Tune in next time as we continue our journey together, diving deeper into what makes us a community, a catalyst for positive things, and a hope for those who aspire to be part of something truly extraordinary. Until the end, be trucked, and we'll catch you on the next episode.