Turner Bros. History

A lifting & specialized transportation company

Turner Bros. Trucking was founded in the early 1920’s as a pipe and equipment transport company serving the western Oklahoma oil and gas industry. Today Turner Bros., LLC is focused on providing turnkey lifting and specialized transportation solutions and services to industrial and energy markets throughout North America.

Turner Bros., LLC is comprised of two principal entities:

Turner Bros. Crane & Rigging, LLC – provides comprehensive lifting solutions

Turner Bros. Trucking, LLC – provides specialized transportation solutions

Below you’ll find a history of Turner Bros., LLC as it has grown and diversified throughout the years.

2008-Present

Dual Lane 32-axle Transport, the largest heavy capacity trailer in use today, added to Turner Bros. Heavy Haul fleet.

American Cranes & Transport magazine ranks Turner Bros., LLC, #24 on its 2008 list of the Top 50 largest Crane-owning companies, ACTcrane50, based on fleet size and capacity.

International Cranes and Specialized Transport ranks Turner Bros., LLC , #52 out of 123 companies on the 2008 list of the world’s largest Crane-owning companies, the IC50. The IC50 has been compiled for 13 years.

Houston Terminal expansion completed adding over 50,000 tons of pipe storage capacity.

Teletrac, a fully integrated commercial fleet GPS-based management system, which allows Turner Bros. to track fleet movements and activities, is installed on selected trucks and cranes in the Houston area.

2007

Turner Bros. and RES Americas Inc. enter into Joint Venture for Wind Farm erection and mechanical completion.

Multiple customized beam and dolly transports, designed and fabricated specifically to move wind turbine nacelles, are added to Heavy Haul fleet.

American Cranes & Transport magazine ranks Turner Bros., LLC, #11 on its 2007 list of the Top 50 largest Heavy and Specialized transport companies, ACTtransport50, based on fleet size and capacity.

2006
The Longview Terminal began the erection and mechanical completion of the Mesquite Wind Farm.

Tulsa Terminal opened.

2005
Turner Bros. successfully completed erection and mechanical completion of Phase II of the Blue Canyon Wind Farm project in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Baton Rouge Terminal opened.

2003

Turner’s Longview Terminal secured Phase I of the Blue Canyon Wind Farm project in Lawton, OK which consisted of erecting 45 wind turbines, a first for Turner.

Beaumont Terminal opened.

Turner Bros. invested in additional crawler cranes (up to 600 tons) and hydraulic cranes (up to 750 tons) for the fleet to further diversify Turner lifting capabilities and help Turner expand into the cogeneration Power market.

Turner added the first Goldhofer trailer to the heavy haul side to support transportation for the Power industry. Turner was now able to haul the large generator packages the Crane & Rigging terminals were lifting.

A 500-ton Crawler Crane, the first of its size, was added to the fleet to offer alternative lifting solutions reflective of the company’s culture of being the first to embrace new technology and bring innovation to the marketplace. Turner now had the largest inventory of large cranes on the Gulf Coast.

1992
Inspection services were added at the Edmond, Oklahoma facility to support the regional OCTG industry.

1991

Turner began expansion of lifting services into the refining and petrochemical markets to support maintenance and routine operating needs. Turner identified additional value-added services that met scope, scale and safety criteria. New hauling and lifting assets were purchased to support this expansion.

1980’s
During the oil industry slowdown Turner identified a need for an effective method of preparing pipe for long-term storage to prevent deterioration until tubular demand returned. Turner addressed this need by providing a new storage service. Automated tubular maintenance machines were added which were designed to spin the pipe and remove rust from the OD (outside diameter) and ID (inside diameter) surfaces while simultaneously coating the OD with lacquer and the ID with a rust preventative. Other services were added such as threading, electromagnetic inspection and hydrostatic testing.

1970’s

Turner Bros. introduced pioneering innovations that have since become industry standards. An example in the 1970’s was the truck mounted hydraulic crane. This crane represented an important breakthrough in handling technology in that it eliminated the costly set-up and breakdown time that conventional cranes required. The new mobile hydraulic crane could be driven to the job site and immediately begin working.

Turner Bros. also was the first to introduce a forklift for handling oilfield tubular goods. Standard forklifts had limitations and liabilities but offered distinct advantages over other conventional methods of pipe handling. Working in collaboration with major equipment companies, Turner Bros. designed an articulated 4-wheel drive vehicle able to operate in all weather and terrain. In addition, safety clamps were incorporated over the forks that increased protection to both pipe and personnel.

1960’s
Jack Turner purchased E.E. Turner’s interest and the company incorporated as Turner Bros. Trucking Company, Inc. Drawing upon a legacy of hard work and innovation, Turner continued to grow and expand weathering the cyclical nature of the energy industry. New services such as oilfield tubular storage and computerized inventory control were introduced while the company expanded into transportation of larger and heavier cargo.

1950’s

The quest for new energy reserves led to drilling in diverse and isolated environments. Portable drilling rigs became the industry standard and mobility a key to their success. Turner Bros. invested in large oilfield trucks capable of moving heavy drilling rigs and equipment across rugged terrains in all weather conditions. During this time Jack Turner, the son of T.T. “Jack” Turner, entered the business. The Turners operated terminals in Oklahoma, Utah, Texas and Colorado while organizing and operating an oilfield trucking, dozer and rat hole drilling company in Canada. The purchase of the M.A. Dixon Trucking Company in 1957 increased Turner Bros. Fleet and expanded their Interstate Authority into twelve states.

1930’s

During the Great Depression and Dust Bowl era, E.E. Turner and brother T.T. “Jack” Turner pooled their resources to form Turner Bros. Trucking Company. The Turners began distributing gasoline and kerosene to neighboring farmers from a storage tank located on their farm. Despite adverse weather and economic conditions, the new business venture grew and the cargo became diversified. Turner transported everything from oilfield equipment to livestock.

1920’s

Turner Bros. Trucking began in the early 1920’s in the emerging oil and gas fields of western Oklahoma. At that time, pipe and equipment was handled by crude block and tackle hoists then hauled to the field by horse and mule-team drawn wagons. E.E. Turner recognized the opportunity to improve the equipment transportation process using a motorized truck providing customers a timely, quality service at a fair price.

Turner Bros. Wind, LLC – which provides crane & rigging, transportation, heavy haul, mechanical completion, and maintenance services to the wind energy industry.

For more information about Turner Bros. lifting and transportation services,
call 800-666-6617 or contact us.