MAN heavy-duty lion-emblazoned tractors in action
The four heavy-duty semitrailer tractors from the new MAN truck generation were extensively overhauled and redesigned with four corner air suspension, 580 hp and a gross train weight of 120 tonnes before they could go into service at Martin Baur GmbH.
MAN vehicles for heavy-duty operations have long been part of Martin Baur’s fleet, but with the new generation, MAN is also giving the heavy-duty specialists a tractor with four corner air suspension for the first time. The drivers, some of whom already covered quite a few kilometres with the new MAN tractors before the official handover date, are enthusiastic: “The driving comfort is noticeably better than with vehicles that are partially equipped with leaf springs,” enthuses driver Stefan.
The basis of the new heavy-duty 4-axle semitrailer tractor is a 3-axle chassis with a short wheelbase. MAN sent it to Wierda, its partner in the Netherlands. The Dutch company fitted the 6×4 model with a steered 10-tonne axle to make the MAN TGX 37.580 fit for heavy-duty operations. “Integrating air suspension into the existing system is actually not that difficult,” reports Geert Veenstra, sales manager at Wierda. “But because these were the first models from the new MAN truck generation, we needed a lot of new information in order to carry out the conversion.” In this case, retrofitting the axle was not enough. As part of the conversion, for example, the exhaust system was also modified and partially raised on the rear wall of the cab. Important for the drivers: They can now read the axle loads on a digital axle load indicator. A 580 hp engine provides the propulsion. The heavy-duty semitrailer tractors are designed for a gross train weight of 120 tonnes.
“It’s just like cruising.”
At Martin Baur, the vehicles are designed to be “driver-specific” – each driver normally has his or her permanently assigned truck. When companies take this approach, and perhaps also grant one or two of a driver’s affordable requests, the fleet is usually in top condition. The employees treat the trucks as if they were their own. Features of the new quartet include swivelling co-drivers’ seats with storage table, auxiliary air-conditioning system, as well as large digital displays and individualised working and driver’s lighting in the form of lamp brackets. The trailers for the four powerful tractors are also a new development. Austrian manufacturer Meusburger cooperated with the transport company from Ertingen-Binzwangen to develop them. What’s special about them is the possibility of loading construction machinery at three different heights according to the dimensions of tyres or crawler tracks. This makes it possible to gain the decisive centimetres that are sometimes lacking in order to remain below the prescribed maximum height. As one of the drivers reports, although the conversion is not instant, at around 30 minutes, the time required is quite reasonable.
At a photo session with Fernfahrer magazine, the four MAN heavy-duty giants took centre stage alongside the drivers, directors Martin Baur and Bernd Kempter and MAN sales representative Jannik Nachtigäller. Everyone shared the joy of the successful collaboration and the start-up of the powerful tractors bearing the MAN lion. First and foremost, the Baur drivers, who will benefit from the advantages of the MAN newcomers on every job from now on.
Fotos: Richard Kienberger