John Deere 870G Motor Grader Transport

The Challenge

A highway construction contractor based in Denver was awarded a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) pavement rehabilitation contract on I-25 north of Denver and needed a John Deere 870G motor grader relocated from their Tulsa, Oklahoma yard to the project site before the construction window opened. The contractor's existing logistics provider had quoted a two-week lead time on permits, which would push the project start past the CDOT-allowed traffic control window — costing potential liquidated damages.

The 870G is one of Deere's largest graders, weighing 52,000 lbs with operating fluids. Its tandem-wheel rear axle configuration gives it a transport width of over 14 feet — well beyond the 8 ft 6 in legal standard in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. Moving it required oversize width permits in all three states, blade removal and separate transport coordination, and careful route planning through Kansas to avoid low-clearance bridges and truck-restricted county roads.

Our Solution

Equipment Assessment & Blade Logistics

We began with a full dimensional review of the 870G in transport configuration. With the cab lowered and the ripper attachment removed, the unit measured 14 ft 2 in wide — triggering oversize width permits in all three transit states. The 24-foot moldboard blade was removed separately at the Tulsa yard and transported on a flatbed trailer in a coordinated move, arriving at the Denver project site the same day as the grader.

The 870G's operating weight of 52,000 lbs, combined with the RGN trailer and tractor, produced a gross vehicle weight of approximately 118,000 lbs — requiring overweight permits in addition to oversize width permits for Oklahoma and Kansas. Colorado requires oversize permits but its axle weight regulations were met by our 13-axle configuration without additional overweight endorsement.

Permit Coordination — Three States in 48 Hours

Our permit services team filed simultaneously with all three state permit offices:

• Oklahoma (ODOT): Oversize width permit for I-44 north through Tulsa to the Kansas state line, plus overweight permit. Oklahoma requires a 24-hour advance notice for loads exceeding 14 ft wide on the turnpike system; we accounted for this in the pickup schedule.
• Kansas (KDOT): Single-trip oversize width and overweight permit for US-77 north through Wichita to I-70 west. Kansas KDOT's online permit portal allowed same-day approval for this configuration. Movement restricted to daylight hours per Kansas oversize regulations.
• Colorado (CDOT): Oversize width permit for I-70 west from the Kansas state line through the Denver metro to the project site. Colorado restricts loads over 14 ft wide to travel between sunrise and sunset and prohibits movement within one hour of a National Weather Service winter weather advisory — a critical consideration for a July move along the I-70 mountain corridor.

Total permit processing time: 38 hours from initial filing to permit issuance across all three states — well inside the contractor's required lead time.

Route Planning

The chosen route — Tulsa, OK → Ponca City, OK → Wichita, KS → Salina, KS → I-70 west → Denver, CO — was selected to avoid:

• Oklahoma Turnpike restrictions on loads wider than 16 ft (not a factor here, but width monitoring was maintained)
• Several low-clearance railroad underpasses on the direct US-75 corridor through eastern Kansas
• The I-70 mountain section west of Denver, which has strict seasonal oversize restrictions and was not on-route for this Tulsa-to-Denver move

Bridge weight ratings were reviewed at 12 structures along the Kansas segment of US-77 where county road detours would have applied for heavier loads. All structures on the selected route were rated for the gross vehicle weight of this move.

Transport Execution

The 870G was loaded onto our RGN trailer at the Tulsa yard using drive-on loading — the grader's low-profile transport stance and the RGN's flat deck allowed the operator to drive directly onto the trailer, eliminating crane costs. The blade was secured on a separate 48-foot flatbed and dispatched simultaneously.

Our driver departed Tulsa at first light on Day 1, completing the Oklahoma segment and crossing into Kansas by early afternoon within permit hours. A mandatory rest stop in Wichita kept the driver compliant with federal hours-of-service regulations. Day 2 covered central Kansas and the Colorado state line. The grader arrived at the Denver project site early on Day 3 — one day ahead of the contractor's required delivery date.

Results

• Delivery: One day ahead of schedule — project mobilization began immediately
• Permits: Full oversize and overweight compliance across all 3 states
• Blade: Delivered same day as grader; reassembly completed on-site within 2 hours
• Safety: Zero incidents, violations, or damage to equipment
• Cost Savings: Early delivery prevented potential CDOT liquidated damages for project delay

Key Takeaways

This project illustrates the operational advantages of working with an experienced heavy haul carrier for time-sensitive equipment moves:

• Parallel Permit Filing: Simultaneous multi-state permit submission cut processing time from two weeks to 38 hours
• Dimensional Expertise: Accurate width measurement at the outset determined permit requirements correctly before any booking was confirmed, avoiding mid-route surprises
• Blade Coordination: Coordinating the blade on a separate flatbed in parallel with the grader move — rather than as a sequential trip — saved a full day of project timeline
• Route Intelligence: Proactive bridge and clearance review on the Kansas segment prevented costly detours that would have added mileage and transit time
• E-E-A-T in Heavy Haul: R&RM LLC's experience since 2011 across all 48 states means we have handled these multi-state, oversize configurations repeatedly — the permit offices know our filings are accurate, which speeds approval