BigRig Videos had an opportunity to follow Michael Antaya, with All Around Equipment, Inc as he hauled a Caterpillar 777 haul truck across town.

Just as pickup trucks are rated in classes, so too are mining trucks. While you are probably used to people referring to their truck as a ¾ or 1 ton truck, the Caterpillar 777 is classified as a 100 ton. It is Caterpillar’s entry level mining truck today. They actually go all the way up to their 797 which is a 400 ton truck! (Here is a spec. sheet of Caterpillar’s newest 777)

Anyways, back to the video. While we have all come across videos of crews hauling tremendous loads, this particular video that BigRig Videos shot is unique in the fact they interviewed the driver, were able to record the conversations between the pilot trucks and Antaya.

In addition to having a camera placed on the Cat, they had multiple cameras recording the run. As they get to certain spots or obstacles, they had Antaya explain what some of the challenges are that they face and how they overcome them.

If you have hauled a heavy load or a long trailer (for us non-commercial drivers) then you had to deal with trying to navigate traffic, turns, and stupid people. Take those issues and ratchet them up and you can start understanding why they had police escorts as well for this haul.

It is always interesting to watch professionals who are seasoned. They make things look so easy, but in fact hauling a load this wide and top heavy produces quite a number of challenges. As Antaya explains, even driving on a road that banks slightly could be potentially hazardous. So, next time you see a heavy load or wide load, think about what that driver is going through before making a move and passing them.

Hats off to the professional truckers and especially those heavy haulers!