SHARON Big, big rig makes stop in city lot

The rig has 18 sets of tandem wheels.
SHARON, Pa. -- The city had a huge overnight guest downtown but the behemoth caused no disturbance and never moved once.
It was a 189-foot-long tractor-trailer, hauling a 175,000-pound machine press, that spent the night in Sharon City Centre parking lot. It was scheduled to be back on the road at 11 a.m. today, said Owen Whritenour, dispatcher for Jan Trucking & amp; Rigging of Dover, N.J.
The press, used to stamp auto parts, was manufactured in Tipton, Ohio, about seven miles from the Indiana border, and has made its way across Ohio and was headed for Interstate 80 this morning.
About the rig: The rig has 18 sets of tandem wheels as well as the two front truck wheels and a rear steering station on the trailer from which a second driver can maneuver the trailer independent from the tractor, Whritenour said.
The press and rig have a combined weight of 373,000 pounds and the rig is permitted to travel only during daylight. The rig can cover about 300 miles at speeds of up to 50 mph on a good day, he said.
When it gets to Dover, the press will be packaged and shipped to an overseas buyer, Whritenour said.
Police along the way have been providing escorts and helped the huge rig inch its way from Interstate 80 in Hubbard along U.S. Route 62 into downtown Sharon to spend the night in the Sharon City Centre lot.