North Star Port

14 | NORTH STAR PORT | SPRING 2026 Logbook PORT 'Flagship' forklift finds a 70,000 pound friend he Duluth Seaway Port Authority 's "flagship" forklift now has com- pany at the Clure Public Marine Terminal. Exactly 55 years after this publica- tion heralded the arrival of a heavy- duty 52,000-pound Clark lift truck, a new hoisting Hercules has come for the "forklifts' flagship" title. In early April, a Toyota THD70K joined the Clure Terminal lineup. Built in Kentucky and rated for 70,000 pounds at a 48-inch load center, it adds a signifi- cant dose of modern hoisting capability to the terminal's forklift fleet. The Toyota brings updated controls, improved operator comfort (including an enclosed cab) and enhanced visi- bility compared with older-generation equipment. Those features, combined with its lifting power, give Duluth Cargo Connect operators more flexibility in how they stage, handle and load heavy cargoes throughout the terminal. For shippers, the practical effect is added efficiency and flexibility when moving cargo through the region's multimodal logistics hub. Upon arrival, the new machine posed alongside a familiar presence on the premises: the original Clark forklift. That venerable machine, built in Mich- igan and touted in 1971 as "the largest of its kind in the Upper Midwest," required six days and three semi-trucks to make the journey from Battle Creek to Duluth. A dependable worker ever since, it remains in active service after more than five decades on the job. Much of that longevity is credited to diligent maintenance and care provided by the Duluth Cargo Connect team. Their efforts extended the service life of the Clark well beyond typical expec- tations for heavy industrial equipment. Seen side by side on the Clure Terminal Expansion pier, the two forklifts trace a line from the port's early push into modern cargo handling to its present-day operations, with one machine still proving its durability and the other just beginning its service. T 1971

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