How to Transport a Dinosaur in Two Simple Steps -- and 60 Million Years

Millions of years ago, dinosaurs trekked the globe in search of survival, and humans wouldn’t have stood a chance in their environment. In modern times, humans trek the globe in search of evidence of dinosaurs’ eventual demise in the form of fossils and other paleontological pursuits. When it’s time to get fossils from one place to another, CAP Logistics and CAP Worldwide are industry leaders in shipping these particularly historic and fragile items. For example, CAP Worldwide recently shipped a major find, an ankylosaurus, from Montana to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

In general, once dinosaur fossils are removed from the ground, they are encased in hard plaster for transport. They are then carefully placed and secured onto a flatbed trailer before CAP Worldwide delivers the fossils to their new homes.

What’s next on the journey of this ankylosaurus? In its lifetime at the end of the Cretaceous Period (68-66 million years ago), it might have measured up to 20 feet long, 6 feet tall and 13,000 pounds. In this case, it is now owned by the Royal Ontario Museum, whose crew will work to reassemble the find as fully as possible based on its condition at the time of discovery.

This story not only illustrates how cool it is to see a dinosaur skull on the back of a truck, but it also illustrates the power of customer loyalty. CAP Logistics team member Mike Hoffman has been providing transportation solutions to this sector for several years, and he has customers who refuse to choose anyone else for their shipping needs.

One of Hoffman’s customers, GeoDecor, has many fossils for purchase at the Denver Coliseum Mineral, Fossil and Gem Show, a popular public show going on now. GeoDecor president and CEO Tom Lindgren’s passion for paleontology has led to a renowned global career, including providing market valuations for the U.S. Department of State and royal families in the Middle East.

Lindgren works to appraise the market value of fossils, but his appraisal of a quality transportation and logistics provider took hardly any work at all. In discussing his longtime working-relationship with Hoffman, Lindgren said, “When I pass something onto Mike to ship, I know it’ll be okay. I know he’ll get me the best service for the best price, and he’s available all along the way. He understands our needs and nuances, and that gives me a lot of confidence in the process.”

Several of the GeoDecor fossils have been uncovered in southwestern Wyoming. Lindgren and his sons have quarries there. “What better legacy to leave one’s children,” he mused. This philosophy is very similar to that of CAP Logistics and CAP Worldwide founder Gayle Dendinger whose family businesses have likewise left a legacy.

In related news, CAP Worldwide moved massive amounts of similar freight to over 68 countries during the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase. Colorado Business Roundtable featured the Denver Gem and Mineral Show (across the street from the Denver Coliseum Mineral, Fossil and Gem Show) earlier this month on its Connect and Collaborate radio show, and the podcast is available. The rock shows are free, open to the public and will be in Denver through this Sunday, September 18, 2016. Don’t miss this chance to see and own your own piece of the fossil record.