With the aim of innovating its fleet, reducing operating costs and increasing safety, Transportes Alemán Estrella (TAE) incorporated its first Scania tractor truck in a double semi-trailer (full) configuration with retractable axle, exclusive technology developed by the manufacturer in conjunction with the freight transport company.
“Considering that a truck pays a good amount of money at the toll booths whether loaded or empty, the high investment in tires and the wear on the brakes, we decided to develop a vehicle that had retractable axles both on the drive section and on the allied equipment,” explained Jesús Martínez, managing partner at Transportes Alemán Estrella, in an interview with T21.
He stressed that this new unit is a pilot test to incorporate this development as a standard in the company in the future, since any margin for cost reduction has a positive impact on profitability.
Ulises Alemán, president of Transportes Alemán Estrella, explained that in order to take better advantage of the unit’s features and make the most of all its functionalities, the operator who drives this new unit received the relevant training from a master driver who shares the best practices and optimal driving techniques.
“Another important aspect that we took into account was the aerodynamics of the boxes and being aware of the tire inflation, including the Scania vehicle,” said Alemán.
It is worth mentioning that the first full Scania with retractable axle was delivered to Norberto Martínez, “star” operator of Transportes Alemán Estrella. When asked about the change from a “snub-nosed” tractor-trailer to a “flat” one, he says that, although the handling per se is the same, due to the characteristics of the flat unit he sees some advantages, for example, visibility is greater and maneuverability is better.
“In addition, the Scania tractor-trailer has more technology, and I find it more comfortable and practical to operate. I am happy and excited about the new unit, because everything is modern, especially the retractable axle, which is an important innovation, because it is more practical to operate on curves, it prevents unnecessary tire wear, and there is a reduction in the cost of the booths,” said Norberto Martínez.
The business relationship between Transportes Alemán Estrella and Scania dates back more than four years. “We have made a good alliance with Scania because it gives us the opportunity to continuously train our work team, since it is necessary to instruct operators to use the advantages of technology,” commented Jesús Martínez.
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