ÖGThe long truck is old hat for Elflein Spedition. The company from Bamberg has been using three variants for years. Currently there are 25 Let's see the guys 2 and 3, which it each on 25,25 meters in length, and 22 Times guy 1 (extended semi-trailer), the 17,80 meters. But managing director Rüdiger Elflein is only really happy with his latest long truck addition, who has been commuting between the Daimler plants in Ludwigsfelde and Sindelfingen for several months.

Three-axle truck chassis with body plus trailer

“For me, this is the long truck of the future”, says the entrepreneur in an interview with the trade magazine trans aktuell. The long truck of the future corresponds to the long truck type 5, which is already operating in a similar form for air freight forwarding companies. The combination consists of a three-axle truck chassis with body and central axle trailer and comes up 24 Meters Length. The motor vehicle holds 23, the trailer 25 Euro pallets. The two transport vessels together bring it up 20,80 Meter. These are 0,5 Less loading meters are available than with the 25 meter version.

The combination does not require a dolly axle

“The advantages easily make up for this limitation”, says Elflein. The combination doesn't just work without a dolly axle. Compared to the common 25 meter version of the type 3 It even saves three axes. “With only five axles, we have an advantage over the long truck types 2 and 3 a consumption saving of 10 bis 15 Percent", says Elflein. Fewer axles also mean less maintenance work. "Added: The vehicle drives like a conventional articulated train, handles the BO force circuit without any problems, And finding a parking space is also much easier.”, reports Marco Mirwald, who heads central technology at Elflein Spedition and is therefore also responsible for the long truck fleet.

The special highlight of the vehicle, which Elflein developed with the vehicle manufacturer Kotschenreuther, also based in Upper Franconia, but is the payload: Thanks to its lightweight construction and the lack of additional axles, the truck only delivers 16 tons on the scales, so can 24 Tons of load can be accommodated – six more than a 25-meter long truck. “The vehicle is completely optimized”, says Elflein.

Vehicle runs as “Raging Franconian forests”

We thought about it for almost a year, how Daimler's requirements could be implemented on the axis from Brandenburg to Baden-Württemberg. Elflein initially held discussions with a Dutch trailer manufacturer. Therefore, the planning went under the code name “Flying Dutchman.” The manufacturer's motivation, to get the vehicle on the road, but in the end it wasn't that high anymore, describes Elflein, Which is why he turned to Kotschenreuther and the “Flying Dutchman” became a “Rasender Franconian Forest”..

That the daughter of the vehicle manufacturer, who heads key account management at Elflein, is also convinced of the concept, is beyond question. “If we see further possible uses, “We will add more vehicles of this type to our fleet.”, says Stefanie Kotschenreuther. However, the initially high demand for long truck transport has declined somewhat. “The use sometimes fails due to the charging situation for the customers, partly on the non-approved last mile”, she reports.

Elflein for cross-border long truck traffic

Those responsible at Elflein Spedition would also welcome it, if the legislature were to create opportunities for cross-border use, for example between Germany and the Czech Republic or Poland - which is currently not foreseeable.

We have been able to build on this in recent years, that new sections would be released after about six months in the next amending regulation. But on that 9. The industry now has more than one amendment regulation 15 Waited months - that didn't make planning with the customer any easier.

Positive long truck balance at Elflein

Turn three into two – this calculation works out for the 25-meter long truck, according to Elflein Spedition. she has 25 Long truck with 25 meters in length and 22 Long truck type 1 with 17,80 meter length in use. The race routes for long trucks at Elflein are transports from Saxony and Thuringia to the Daimler factory in Sindelfingen (Baden-Württemberg) and back. The reduction in consumption through fewer trips is 15 bis 25 percent.

Matthias Rathmann
Editor-in-chief of trans aktuell and eurotransport.de