Difficulties in obtaining permits to haul heavy loads on U.S. roads is causing companies in many industries to take a long, hard look at modularization, according to an article in the May/June issue of Heavy Lift & Project Forwarding International magazine. Originally favored as a way to reduce assembly challenges onsite, the production of smaller size modules also can sometimes help avoid the costs associated with oversize/overweight loads by producing partial units that are significantly smaller and lighter.
For example, oil components have been produced in half size or even quarter size units. At 12-feet wide by 12-feet high, the latter could go on regular trucks or rail cars; however, the larger number of individual units would require increased areas of lay-down space at the port, noted the article.