With Marcellus & Utica Pipeline projects running full force, our dealer Shafer Equipment not only expanded into the Northeast with a new branch location, but had to restock their fleet of Terramac crawler carriers to keep up.
Just last month we announced Shafer’s new branch location which is centrally located in West Virginia off Route 50 – the major highway in the heart of the Marcellus & Utica pipeline work. Not even two weeks after their expansion Terramac received the call informing us they were going to need to increase the size of their crawler carrier fleet. “The utilization is high and the need for crawler carriers out this way just continues to grow,” says Jesse Whittaker, Northeast Terramac sales representative. Shafer ended up adding another five Terramac’s to their fleet, and have become the fastest growing Terramac dealer with the largest Terramac fleet in the US.
What Crawler Carriers Provide the Marcellus & Utica Shale
There isn’t a single step in the pipeline installation process that doesn’t utilize the versatility our crawler carriers offer. The difference in the Marcellus and Utica Shale is that the Appalachian Mountains stretch through the formations making it extremely difficult to get equipment and crew to the installation sites. Terramac’s rubber tracked technology allows for low ground pressure so our equipment can trek through the mountainous and hilly terrains of the Marcellus and Utica Shale without halt.
Furthermore, Terramac crawler carriers are equipped to carry specialized attachments necessary for use on pipeline installation projects such as, dump beds, flat beds, cranes, personnel carriers, tac welders, and much more. The hydraulic system already incorporated into Terramac units is set up to accommodate attachments requiring hydraulics whereas competing overseas models require a hydraulic conversion to take place. Ordering parts and undergoing service for this procedure can be a timely and costly alteration which project managers working in the fast pace pipelines in the Marcellus and Utica Shale can’t wait for.
If you’re hard at work installing pipelines for the Marcellus and Utica Shale and find yourself in need of a crawler carrier to complete your project, give Terramac a call today at 630.365.4800. We’ll be sure to show you the difference our crawler carriers will have on your pipeline project.
