160t Nooteboom low-loader takes to the road
Netherlands-based operator Zwagerman Transport & Lifting recently carried out its first assignment using the new Nooteboom 4+6 Euro-PX low-loader with pendle axles.
The trailer features four axle lines on the Interdolly, followed by the low-loader bed and then another six axle lines after the bed. This combination is pulled by a five-axle Volvo FH16 with 750 hp and has a maximum train weight of just over 160 tonnes: 60 tonnes of its own weight and a load weight of more than 100t.
This combination is almost 37 metres (120 feet) long when retracted and is almost 3 metres (9.8 feet) wide; these dimensions means that it must always be accompanied by an escort vehicle, even when it is not carrying a load.
Explained Zwagerman: “Our first job using the new material was to collect a crane from Harlingen in the north of the Netherlands to stall it at the Zwagerman site in Nederhorst Den Berg in the centre of the country.
“The crane was a Sennebogen 6300E with a capacity of 300 tonnes. This gigantic crane, which is powered by a 1,000 hp 12 cylinder Caterpillar motor, is mostly deployed in the offshore industry. Brian Klaver, from Dutch Offshore, was present to guide the loading process and to operate the crane.
“The tracks and the boom had already been dismantled. The crane has four hydraulic support legs enabling it to move vertically, and we were able to drive the low-loader under it. Because the rear side of the low-loader was still a bit too high the crane was raised, leg by leg, with wooden blocks.
“A couple of the adjusting bolt heads stuck out slightly too far above the load floor, but this was solved by adjusting the axle heights. Then the low-loader could drive under the crane.
“When everything had been manoeuvred into the right place, rubber mats were placed underneath the support bed and the crane was lowered onto the load floor. The crane was lashed into place with heavy chains. The railing at the top was dismounted and secured on the rear of the low-loader with lashing straps.
“During the loading process the crane was operated via remote control. The crane’s rotating cabin protruded slightly at the side, and Brian moved it into the correct position. Then the width plates were attached and the trailer was set to the correct height and axle loads. Because this involved a load of more than 100 tonnes, the combination was not allowed onto the motorway until 20:00.”
The 4+6 low-loader was constructed by Nooteboom in close consultation with Zwagerman and complies with the latest legislation, with an axle distance of 1.51 metres (4.95 feet) instead of the usual 1.36 meters (4.46 feet).
Said Zwagerman: “This means we are future-proof, because this configuration has an axle load of 12 tonnes throughout the EU. Furthermore, the road-surface load is well-distributed, and the length of the combination, from almost 37 metres (120 feet) to more than 41 metres (135 feet) when extended means that load is not an issue on bridges and viaducts.
“This combination is an important addition to our fleet of 15 trucks and 25 different trailers that can be deployed in varied combinations. We also have several vehicle-lifting cranes with a capacity of up to 165 tonnes/metre, so we could, for instance, lift and transport the heavy tracks of the Sennebogen 6300E, which weigh 30 tonnes each.”
Zwagerman Transport & Lifting has been a satisfied client of Nooteboom for 50 years, with the simple operation of the low-loaders said to be particularly appreciated by the drivers.
