Heavy transport of steel containers

Planning and Execution of a Heavy Transport

The planning of the transport route is one of the fundamental aspects of heavy transport. A crucial factor is the selection of the appropriate vehicle. The company Samuel Amsler recently deployed a Megamax from Faymonville for the transport of a 24-ton, 21-meter-long steel container. The fleet of the company from Schinznach includes several of these vehicles, which can be flexibly combined.

Transport in the Context of an Anniversary

The transport was particularly significant as the Swiss company Samuel Amsler celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020. The team was tasked with planning and executing the transport of the 21-meter-long, 24-ton steel container. Due to the exceptional height of the cargo and the challenging route profile, the two-axle, low-lying Megamax semi-trailer from Faymonville was used.

Special Transport over 100 Kilometers

At the port of Muttenz in Switzerland, the semi-circular container was transferred from the ship to the low-lying trailer. Subsequently, a distance of 100 kilometers had to be covered to the unloading location in Emmen, near Lucerne.

Jeannette Schmidmeister, an employee of Amsler, explains: “The total length of the vehicle combination is 32 meters, which complicates entering and exiting highways.” Among the challenges were the safety barriers up to 1.30 meters high on both sides, as well as entering and exiting numerous roundabouts. The radii in the curves also had to be taken into account due to the long wheelbases.

Technical Support through Pendulum Axles

The Megamax semi-trailer is specifically designed for such transports. Jeannette Schmidmeister highlights the technical features that assisted the Amsler team during this transport: “The maximum lift and lowering height of the hydraulic chassis of 600 mm allows for partial crossing of safety barriers and traffic signs, while the load overhangs by 1.86 meters on the side. Additionally, the steering angle of 60° of the pendulum axles ensures optimal maneuverability in curves.”

Teamwork is essential in this process. The on-site operators benefited from remote control. At the end of the convoy, the escort steers the chassis with millimeter precision through tight passages – a significant relief for the driver.

Modular Low Loader

After a night drive, the red-and-white combination reached Emmen without issues, where the steel container was unloaded from the Megamax. However, the break was short, as the extra low trailer is frequently used by Samuel Amsler AG. “A high payload with low dead weight, an optimal cost-benefit ratio, and a stable construction,” summarizes J. Schmidmeister. Since the fleet includes several Faymonville low loaders, it is also important to emphasize that Amsler can flexibly assemble all components – for example, the beams and cross beams on different vehicles depending on the task.