Radville 鈥撀� When Pipeline News last profiled Pratt Transport Ltd. of Radville in our April, 2010 edition, the story focused on their unique business strategy of building 鈥済lider鈥� trucks using, older, pre-tiered emissions controls engines. That strategy has paid off in the intervening years, and they鈥檝e built a total of ten such gliders, the core of their fleet.
Asked about the gliders, Rob Pratt said, 鈥淭he only reason I鈥檓 still in business is because I had those trucks.鈥�
Rob owns and operates the business with his wife Christine. They spoke to Pipeline Newsin the recent addition to their shop in Radville on Aug. 17.
The term 鈥榞lider鈥� is a reference to an aircraft without an engine. In this case, it鈥檚 a truck without a drive train.
鈥淚t shows up at the dealership without any power train,鈥� he explained in our original 2010 story. All their gliders have been Peterbilts, and the engines are pre-1999.
鈥淣o tier,鈥� is how he described them.
Surprisingly, the supply of engines has not run out, 18 years after the cutoff, but glider packages are harder to get now, he said.
Because they鈥檝e lasted so well, the most recent glider he built in 2015.
鈥淭he price of trucks has gone up so much, and the trucks I built are so reliable, I don鈥檛 need any new trucks. Those trucks have 2.4 million kilometres, 40,000 hours without any no engine repairs. Half of my other trucks have 1.6 million on them, and they run every day.
鈥淚 work with guys who went broke because they had brand new trucks in the shop all the time. In 2009, 2011, 2012, people were struggling.鈥�
Pratt Transport specializes in fluid and natural gas liquids (NGLs) hauling as well as construction.
鈥淭here鈥檚 more construction right now, because it鈥檚 slow in the fluid-hauling industry,鈥� he said.
They鈥檙e running three to four power units on a good day. August slowed down, but they expect things to get busier in the winter, when they would run six or seven.
The products include more NGLS now than fluids. Noting the seasonal work, Rob said that鈥檚 why they鈥檙e doing more construction in the summer.
This includes scrapers, grader, loader, gravel, topsoil for oil site reclamation. They do aluminum welding and have a gravel pit, too. 聽聽
This summer they completed a sewage lagoon for the town of Radville. 鈥淚t was four hectares, 150,000 cubic yards of dirt,鈥� he said. It took all summer.
Christine said they have around 10 and 12 people, between ownership, drivers and construction. Their peak was this past spring, at 15.
Rob noted they work together with their buddies who have other businesses. 鈥淲e kind of share guys,鈥� he said.
Rob said, 鈥淲e鈥檝e diversified a lot, doing water and sewer, building this lagoon, farming.
鈥淥therwise, we would be about half the size we were, because at one time we had probably 12 drivers, but now we鈥檙e struggling to keep seven busy,鈥� Christine said.
Thus, their construction work has made up for the shortfall in oilfield work. 聽
Their NGL hauls can go from Saskatchewan to Ontario, Montana, 小蓝视频 Dakota, North Dakota or Minnesota. 鈥淭here are still some in-field NGLs, raw gas to a gas plant for processing, or caverns.鈥�
The trips can be from 20 minutes to 10 hours.
Weather, crops that need drying, are just some of the factors affecting their hauls.
The glider idea shows Rob鈥檚 contrarian streak. When they do dugouts for farmers, for instance, they鈥檒l use scrapers instead of excavators. 鈥淏asically, what everyone else is doing, I try to do the opposite,鈥� Rob said as Christine laughed. 鈥淚f you can find more efficient ways to make money鈥�
鈥淓veryone uses rock trucks and hoes to move dirt. I use scrapers. It鈥檚 more efficient.鈥�
Three years into this oil downturn, they鈥檝e survived. Rob said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 been good, 小蓝视频 diverse.鈥�
Christine said to Rob, 鈥淚 used to think you were crazy, trying new things.鈥�
The Pratts have four children, ages 10, 12, 15 and 17, and they鈥檙e starting to help out with the business when they鈥檙e not active in their various activities. The youngest clean the shop, and the oldest will run equipment.聽
