English - Nooteboom Giants on the Road Magazine English - Nr. 6 - 2019 | Page 22

GIANTS ON THE ROAD be lower. That’s why we are trying to replace our entire fleet within six years. So we stay up-to-date. From a technical viewpoint a Nooteboom trailer can last much longer. We know, because we still have one Nooteboom trailer that’s 18 years old. When we replace trailers we take a good look at developments in the business of our customers. In the last few years loads have only become higher, wider and heavier. Our Nooteboom trailers have grown in equal measure.” DO YOU OUTSOURCE LIFTING OPERATIONS? Angel: “We know about trucks and trailers but a lot less about cranes. If we need a crane we can hire one anywhere. In Spain the competition among crane hire companies is fierce. We sometimes say: In Spain there are more cranes than bottles of beer.” CHECKS ■  EURO-PX low-loader with flexneck for transport of yachts MANY OF YOUR TRAILERS ARE FROM THE NETHERLANDS Angel: “In 1998 we bought the first Nooteboom trailer from the father of Luis Macias of Trainar. The one delivered last is number 21 or 22, I’m not sure. The composition of our fleet is simple: for loads up to 100 tonnes Nooteboom is the best manufacturer of low-loaders and semi low-loaders. We are especially pleased with the Manoovr. For the transport of vessels we could not find a solution within the Nooteboom programme. Via Dick Nooteboom we got in touch with Draco. They are able to perfectly meet our requirements for the transport of yachts. For the modular section with more than 100 tonnes load capacity we are, due to the former strategic alliance Nooteboom had with Scheuerle. Our experience has taught us that working with the latest equipment is most efficient. The technical developments continue to advance and we can see that a Nooteboom trailer of 2018 clearly has better specifications than a trailer of ten years ago. Also, the costs for repairs and maintenance will ■  22 Angel: “In Spain abnormal transports are regularly checked by the police. Because our exemptions are in order and our equipment is properly maintained we rarely have a problem with the Spanish checks. This is different in France. IS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AN ADVANTAGE FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Angel: “Without the EU we would not have been able to establish this company over the last few years. The Euro has made financial transactions so much easier and we are convinced that the EU has contributed considerably to pulling Spain out of the crisis. We have become committed Europeans. WIND ENERGY Angel: “The orders in the wind sector fluctuate enormously. One year there is a great deal of construction and then projects are postponed the year after. We would certainly not like to be dependent on transports Beautiful weather in Spain, but in the mountains snow can fall until late spring