Hitachi ZX870 Mining Excavator Transport

The Challenge

A surface mining operation in the Powder River Basin near Gillette, Wyoming was redistributing equipment to a gold mining site in the Elko, Nevada area. The Hitachi ZX870LC-5 — a large-class hydraulic excavator purpose-built for high-production mining bench work — needed to make the 825-mile relocation across three Mountain West states within a tight two-week window tied to the destination site's production schedule.

The ZX870LC-5 operates at 95,000 lbs in its standard configuration with the bucket on and all counterweights installed. For highway transport, the bucket was removed and transported as a separate load, but the machine still came in at 95,000 lbs with boom and stick folded and secured. At 14 feet 2 inches wide with standard-width shoes, the excavator triggered oversize width requirements in all three states along the route, and the 14-foot 2-inch width placed it in the range requiring a rear pilot car through Nevada — one of that state's stricter escort thresholds.

The route from Gillette to Elko runs primarily along I-90 and I-25 through Wyoming, then west on I-80 across Utah's salt flats and desert terrain, and into Nevada where I-80 continues directly to Elko. While the majority of the route is major interstate highway, the move presented two specific challenges: the Laramie Range and Sherman Hill segment of I-80 in southern Wyoming — which climbs to 8,640 feet at the summit — and the need to synchronize permits across three state DOT systems with different processing timelines and permit formats.

Our Solution

Pre-Move Preparation and Load Configuration

The Hitachi ZX870 required specific preparation before loading to meet permit dimensions and to protect the machine during the two-day highway transit. Our team coordinated with the mine's equipment crew to remove the front bucket and pin it to a separate flatbed for independent transport. The boom and stick were folded into transport position and secured with heavy-duty ratchet straps at the specified manufacturer tie-down points. All fuel tanks were confirmed at the required transport level — mines often run machines with full fuel, and a tank of diesel adds measurable weight that must be accounted for in the permit application.

The machine's hydraulic oil was confirmed within normal operating range with all cylinders retracted. Counterweights were left on the machine — removing and transporting counterweights separately is sometimes done for very heavy machines, but the ZX870 at 95,000 lbs was well within the lowboy's rated capacity and the configured trailer's axle weight distribution kept all per-axle loads within each state's permitted limits.

Trailer Configuration — 12-Axle Dovetail Lowboy

The excavator was loaded onto a dovetail lowboy configured with six rear axle groups in addition to the standard main frame axles and the jeep axle assembly behind the fifth wheel. The dovetail loading ramps allowed the excavator to drive up and onto the trailer under its own power, with the ramps then locked up for travel. Loaded deck height was 5 feet 2 inches, keeping the excavator's overall transport height at 13 feet 1 inch — within legal height limits in all three states without requiring a height survey.

The 12-axle configuration spread 95,000 lbs across enough axles to keep per-axle weights compliant with Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada axle weight schedules when combined with the tractor's axles. Our route planner ran the weight calculation in each state's format before submitting permits to confirm compliance — the axle weight calculation for multi-axle lowboy loads is not always straightforward because the trailer's axle spacing and the tractor's axle spacing interact in the bridge formula calculation. Getting this right in advance is what allows permits to be issued on the first application rather than requiring resubmission with revised configurations.

Three-State Permit Coordination

Permit applications were submitted simultaneously to all three states as soon as the load dimensions and route were confirmed. R&RM LLC has experience with the permit systems in each of these states and submitted complete applications on the first attempt:

• Wyoming (WYDOT): Wyoming DOT processes oversize permits through its WYOsmart online permitting portal. For loads over 14 feet in width, Wyoming requires a front pilot car. The I-90/I-25/I-80 corridor through Wyoming is a well-traveled heavy haul route, and WYDOT issued the permit within 24 hours of application. Travel is restricted to daylight hours Monday through Saturday; no oversize travel on Sundays or federal holidays.
• Utah (UDOT): Utah DOT handles oversize permits through its Motor Carrier Division portal. At 14 feet 2 inches wide, the load required a front pilot car and compliance with Utah's nighttime travel restriction for loads over 14 feet in width. The I-80 corridor across Utah through Wendover and the Bonneville Salt Flats is a primary east-west heavy haul corridor, and UDOT issued the permit within 24 hours. Utah also restricts oversize movement during the Saturday after Thanksgiving and other major travel holidays.
• Nevada (NDOT): Nevada Department of Transportation issued the permit for the I-80 corridor from Wendover through Elko. Nevada requires both front and rear pilot cars for loads exceeding 14 feet in width, which placed an additional escort vehicle requirement on this move that Wyoming and Utah did not. NDOT processed the permit within two business days. Nevada restricts oversize travel during holidays and limits movement to daylight hours for loads in this width range.

Sherman Hill Elevation Considerations

The I-80 crossing of the Laramie Range in southeast Wyoming is a well-known challenge for heavy haul operators on the east-west I-80 corridor. The summit at Sherman Hill reaches 8,640 feet above sea level, and the grades approaching the summit — particularly the westbound descent from the summit toward Laramie — require drivers to manage brake heat carefully on heavy loads. Our driver for this move had previous experience on the Sherman Hill segment with loaded lowboys and adjusted driving speed and braking technique accordingly. Wyoming DOT sometimes issues chain controls or load restrictions on this segment during weather events; we monitored the WYDOT traveler information system throughout the transit to confirm the route remained clear.

The Wyoming segment also passes through Cheyenne and Laramie, both of which the permit routed around or through on the designated oversize corridors. Urban interstate segments in Cheyenne required the pilot car to be in communication with the driver via radio throughout the transit of the urban area.

Escort Vehicle Logistics

The front pilot car was provided by a certified escort company familiar with the I-80 corridor and operating in all three states. For the Nevada segment, a second certified escort was positioned as the rear pilot car, joining the convoy at the Nevada state line near Wendover. Both escort operators held valid certifications in their respective states and carried the required equipment: amber rotating beacons, oversize load flags, height poles for the front vehicle, and radio communication on the same channel as the driver. The front pilot car maintained a quarter-mile lead distance at highway speeds to give oncoming traffic adequate warning of the wide load ahead.

Results

• Delivery: On schedule, within the mine's two-week equipment relocation window
• Permits: Three-state oversize permit package obtained within 48 hours of application submission
• Escort: Front and rear pilot cars coordinated without delays at the state line transfer
• Safety: Zero roadside enforcement incidents; compliant in all three states throughout transit
• Condition: Excavator arrived in full working order; mine crew had it in production within 24 hours of delivery

Key Takeaways

Mining operations frequently relocate equipment between active sites — and those relocations rarely happen on a relaxed timeline. When a Hitachi ZX870 needs to move 825 miles across three states, the permitting, escort coordination, and route preparation cannot be improvised. R&RM LLC handled every logistical element from pre-move dimensions confirmation through final delivery to the Nevada site, giving the mine's operations team a single contact for the entire move rather than having to coordinate separately with a broker, a permit service, and an escort company.

• Simultaneous Permit Submission: All three state applications submitted on the same day, minimizing overall permit turnaround time
• Axle Configuration Expertise: 12-axle lowboy configured to keep all axle groups within permitted limits across three different state weight schedules
• Escort Handoff Coordination: Nevada rear pilot car positioned at the state line to join the convoy without delay or confusion
• Mountain Corridor Experience: Sherman Hill segment navigated without incident by a driver experienced on that specific grade
• Mine-to-Mine Timeline: Excavator relocated and returned to production within the mine's operational window