To Esbjerg at a Snail's Pace

On the contrary: on the route that leads through small country roads in Denmark, there are even many roundabouts – which are often so narrow that the long vehicle has to drive into the opposite lane in order to get through. In some places a straight road segment stretches across the roundabout, which has been fitted with a barrier with consideration for long heavy-duty trucks for wind turbines.

The freight company Frank Nørager & Co A/S specialises in transporting component parts for wind turbines. RoadStars was given the opportunity of joining in with the transport of a nacelle on a heavy-duty truck, where a one-and-a-half-year-old Mercedes-Benz Arocs up to 250 tonnes 4163 was used as a towing vehicle. For anyone who didn't know it yet: the nacelle is the machine cabin of a wind turbine, onto which the rotor blades are mounted – so it's the wind turbine's actual centre piece. Because this particular nacelle is designated for offshore use, the hub was mounted before it was transported.

As arranged with forwarder Frank Nørager and Arocs driver Frank Kokholm, we meet at the production facility of Vestas in the harbour of Ringkøbing. The Arocs and the nacelle are already prepared for departure. "With regard to common traffic, we're actually only allowed to set off after 8 pm," Frank Kokholm explains. But we drive off nonetheless because soon, country roads will suddenly be crowded with heavy-duty trucks transporting wind turbine parts. A transport of this scale needs to have two support cars – one in front and one behind. "The support car behind me is actually a kind of rear-view mirror for me," Kokholm explains, "because I see next to nothing out back, and so I'm in constant radio contact with both support cars."

At around 7 pm, he starts the Actros so that the engine can warm up and build up the required pressure. At around 7.15 pm, the tractor-trailer combination is set in motion. Thanks to the truck's fluid coupling, the truck starts rolling without difficulty in spite of the heavy cargo.

It has never let me down!

Frank Kokholm has been working for Frank Nørager A/S alone for ten years. He has also transported wind turbines in Scotland. He is a very seasoned driver, especially with regard to this kind of transport. Because wind turbines are often built in little-developed areas, he has already experienced a great deal. With its ultra-heavy load, the vehicle has to face the most diverse types of terrain. Frank Kokholm shows us photos on his iPhone. They document the challenges and trials that he and the vehicle have already mastered. Mud, deep snow and a lot more. "So far, this Arocs has never let me down," he explains. That's already an indication of this vehicle's strength.

It also seems to be good in terms of operational safety. A week after our visit, a drive to Kirkenes is on the agenda for Frank Kokholm and the Arocs. It's almost impossible to go further towards Lapland. The drive from Ringkøbing to Esbjerg seems like child's play by comparison. "If wind turbines need to be transported far into southern Europe, often the forwarding company is already factored into the route planning when the turbines are ordered. That can be several years before the actual manufacturing of the turbines," the driver reports. This shows how complex the route planning is in this case. Here, you can truly speak of logistics, because each of the traffic authorities in all the countries the transport passes through has to give its green light.

But back to Ringkøbing. Immediately outside the city, the first roundabout needs to be handled.  Here the border has been equipped with additional pavement so that the long vehicle can go into the curve more easily. The first support car provides free passage, while the second stops the traffic for the duration of the manoeuvre.

Specialist for heavy-duty transport of wind turbines.

It's probably obvious by now: not everyone can handle the transport of wind turbines. But Frank Nørager & Co has more than 30 years' worth of experience in this area. The complete name of the company is Hjortdal Specialtransport Frank Nørager & Co A/S. The company was founded in 1982 as Hjortdal Specialtransport by Frank Nørager. Back then he was the only freight forwarder who did some of the driving himself.

With more than 185 semitrailers and heavy-duty modules, 75 towing vehicles for heavy-duty transport and six crane vehicles between 36 and 150 metre-tonnes, the forwarding company has a very modern, well-maintained fleet of special-purpose transporters and corresponding equipment at its disposal. The company has around 125 employees. "Ten of the towing vehicles are Mercedes-Benz vehicles. For the really heavy-duty transports, the Germans are just unbeatable," says Frank Nørager.

"The newest models also stand out with their economic fuel consumption. Generally, the drivers are content with these vehicles. But when it comes to choosing vehicles it's important to us that we have a contact person at the dealer's location who is available virtually all the time. This is what we have with Mercedes-Benz – the company also has a good network of workshops in the whole of Europe. Therefore our trucks are quickly roadworthy again in case of a breakdown," Frank Nørager finally explains.

In 2010, the company received a Workplace of the Year award by the 3F trade union in Denmark. It has subsidiary companies in Sweden, Poland, England and Germany.