Arctic directory 2020: Lynden celebrating 20 years of improvements at Red Dog Mine

Petroleum News

As reported by Lynden News Dec. 27, 20 years ago, NANA/Lynden Logistics LLC successfully bid and took over the onsite trucking services for Red Dog Mine near Kotzebue, Alaska. The services include hauling ore concentrates, freight and fuel for the mine, which is one of the largest zinc mines in the world. In the past two decades, a core team of 50 drivers and mechanics have hauled over 57 billion pounds of zinc and lead concentrates, 320 million gallons of fuel and 1 million tons of freight between the Red Dog Mine and port site 52 miles away.

“When we took over in 1999, we inherited tractors and trailers from the prior contractor and immediately saw an opportunity to improve the equipment to a more stable, environmentally safe and productive design,” explains General Manager Mark Tatlow. “We switched from a nine-axle tractor trailer set with a dolly to an 11-axle trailer set with the rear trailer connected directly to the lead trailer. This allowed us to increase our payload from 170,000 pounds to 280,000 pounds. We eliminated the dolly and pintle hitch between the two trailers so they are connected by a single connection point for increased stability. We also added a solid lid to the trailers and eliminated the side dump doors to reduce dust escaping during transport.”

In 2008, NANA/Lynden improved the trailer design again to increase payload. The 91-foot train with 12-axle tractor trailer sets allows hauling of 295,500 pounds of concentrate - 15,500 pounds more than the seven-axle sets and a 74% increase in payload over the last 20 years. “We’ve probably got the best ton-mile-per-gallon numbers of anyone in the country, even though the return trip is empty,” Mark says. For more information visit www.lynden.com.