Transporting glass safely over long distances

In an earlier post, we looked at methods for transporting glass safely. The post only took into account short-distance transportation – from the glass shop to the worksite, for example. But how does glass get from place to place over long distances, and what challenges can arise when transporting glass?

Transporting glass isn’t for sissies!

Transporting glass over long distances or in bulk requires specialized equipment inside a truck. Breakage is always a major concern, since it can range anywhere from 0.5% to a whopping 40%!. Packaging makes all the difference in the world. Great packaging means few losses. Clever approaches to transporting glass can increase the amount of glass that can be transported in a single load, reduce the losses during transport, and reduce the effort required to move glass from place to place.

One way in which glass fabricators minimize the dangers involved in transporting glass is by regionalizing glass production. By minimizing the distance needed to transport glass to major markets, glass manufacturers can reduce losses and simplify the process of transporting glass. Nearly 50 major glass manufacturers in the US operate about 100 fabricating facilities for plate glass production.

Fortunately, glass production does not require specialized locations, nor is it environmentally unfriendly. Most states have at least one significant glass manufacturing facility, however most glass production facilities specialize in creating a limited range of glass types. Additionally, many production facilities are certified to make glass for major glass companies like Guardian and PPG. A sheet of float glass may be sold under a specific brand name, for example, but it may be created in the same facility as a competitor’s glass.

The biggest issue in transporting glass is not how the glass is transported or how far the glass has to travel, but who is transporting glass. The trucking industry as a whole is facing a huge labor gap. That is, there are far more open jobs than people to fill them. Truck driving takes some specialized training, and transporting glass is a niche specialty, so general carriers tend to avoid transporting glass because they are not set up with the right equipment and personnel to move large volumes of glass.

Fortunately, most individuals don’t need to worry about the long-distance concerns related to transporting glass. If you need to transport glass, or arrange for the transportation of glass over a long distance, you’d be wise to look for a carrier that specializes in transporting plate glass. While transporting glass may be expensive, an experienced glass carrier can make sure your glass gets from Point A to Point B in one piece!
Photo Credit: Piotr Kotkowski , via FreeImages.com