GIANTS ON THE ROAD
EQUIPMENT FOR ULTRA-HEAVY LOADS Marcus : ‘ Our huge G2 K600 girder bridge with its load capacity of 600 tonnes can handle extremely heavy generators , transformers and other loads such as engines or turbines . In Europe it has become increasingly important to distribute the weight along the surface as precisely as possible . In the configuration with 2 x 24 axle lines we can restrict the axle loads to 12 tonnes . The heaviest towing vehicles are our Mercedes-Benz Titan 4165 8x6 tractors , with a capacity of 1.000 tonnes gross weight . ’
A PASSION FOR ABNORMAL TRANSPORT ? Andreas : ‘ I grew up between trucks . Regrooving tyres , paint spraying and parking the trucks in a neat row : that was my youth . We loved it . Perhaps there are easier ways of earning money , but we never gave that any thought . This is my trade and Marcus feels exactly the same .’
CONCERNS Andreas : ‘ Yes , there are a few . The first one : our drivers are specialist in their work . They must not only be able to carry out small repairs but they must also negotiate with the customer . They often have the responsibility for a load that ’ s worth millions of Euro ’ s . But in several European countries they are almost treated as criminals if they commit a minor infringement . Abnormal transport is an important link in the European economy and we would like to get the recognition for it that we deserve . The second one : trips that we used to do in one night now often take 3 to 5 nights . This is caused by longer routes due to a lack of maintenance of the bridges and an overstretched police force . We are campaigning to make it simpler to apply for exemptions and to privatise transport escorting . The ‘ Hilfspolizei ’ scheme is a step in the right direction .
FINALLY … Andreas : ‘ The German economy is dependent on industrial companies that export a large part of the production . The goods are getting larger and heavier . And for us it ’ s getting more difficult all the time to transport heavy loads , even to an inland waterway port , over the road . The German government – and governments in the rest of Europe too – must understand the importance of the work we do . Abnormal transport is not a huge sector but it is a sector that ’ s extremely important for the functioning of our industrial companies and energy sector .’
HEAVYLIFT TERMINAL DUISBURG The Heavy Lift Terminal Duisburg ( HTD ) is a joint venture by the duisport-Gruppe , KAHL Schwerlast GmbH . The terminal has a perfect connection to the European network of canals and rivers , but also to the rail network . The gantry crane can place loads of up to 250 tonnes in a barge . All the dimensions at the terminal are geared to extreme loads . For instance , the height under the hook of the gantry crane is more than 13 metres and the doors for transhipment to rail and water are 14.8 metres wide . With a tandem lift , together with a mobile telescopic crane , the capacity increases to 500 tonnes . And if that ’ s still not enough , KAHL can use SPMT ’ s that have a load capacity of 1,000 tonnes . Andreas KAHL : ‘ Our customers come to us with loads that are more and more complex and ultra-heavy . In that case we have no choice but to transport by ship . The Heavy Lift Terminal Duisburg can take care of the transhipment , assembly and packaging and the customer will often be saving the costs of an extra transport over the road .’
The Nooteboom Manoovr is due to its specifications – low , light , manoeuvrable and strong – ideal for the conditions on the German roads . KAHL Schwerlast prefers to keep the combination of tractor , semi-trailer and driver together whenever possible . Holger Rybka : ‘ With the Manoovr they gave all the details plenty of thought . Compared with modular trailers I am more flexible and need much less time for loading and unloading . And that ’ s important because in our business delays always generate problems and extra costs for our company .’” ■
■ The low fl oor of the Manoovr makes it possible to carry extremely high loads
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