The four-axle truck: Andreas Werth delivers construction and insulation materials up to the sixth floor
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In the Rhine-Main region, there is a lot of construction work going on – especially in an upwards direction. Andreas Werth has the perfect vehicle for this: his Actros has three steered axles, a payload of more than 12 tonnes and a loader crane with 27-metre boom.
The atmosphere at daybreak: Out and about in Frankfurt city centre.
Andreas “Andi” Werth has been delivering construction materials for 34 years in the Rhine-Main region.
The leading and trailing axle of the four-axle truck can be lifted and steered.
Thanks to the crane at the rear, Andi can deliver the construction materials up to a height of 27 metres.
Andreas Werth knows his stuff. One glance at the delivery address and, in his head, he is already on his way from the company location in the west of Frankfurt through the middle of the urban area. “The first road I’ll take there is Mainzer Strasse – and then I’ll have to see, as I cannot carry on through at the moment,” says Andreas, who is known as Andi and seems to know the Main metropolis and the Rhine-Main region inside out – including current road closures and diversions. And that’s not surprising, since the 55-year-old has been delivering construction materials in the region for 34 years.
Insulation materials are in great demand.
The construction boom in and around Frankfurt has continued despite the pandemic. Housing construction is a declared objective of the city, and there are numerous new projects in the high-rise district, too.
Andi’s employer is Wego Systembaustoffe GmbH, which has its headquarters in Hanau. It has four more locations in and around Frankfurt – over 50 nationwide. Insulation and drywall materials are the main business of the company.
Be it for new builds, energy-related refurbishments or the restructuring and expansion of flats and offices – construction materials are in great demand.
“What is special about us is that we can deliver the materials as high as onto the sixth storey,” says Andi on his way to the first building site of the day. It is shortly after half-past six in the morning. The sun is just rising behind the Frankfurt skyline. The first cranes are beginning to move. The traffic is still moderate. “That will change very soon,” Andi knows and changes lane – a construction site fence is blocking the right lane. Again. “You have to get up early otherwise you just can’t get through.”
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The destination today is a development area north of Frankfurt for around 700 residential units. The access road is narrow. A trailer with concrete elements is standing next to several transporters and a 15-tonne truck. Cars of the construction site employees are parked right next to storage areas for construction materials. “You never know what to expect at such sites,” says Andi. “That’s what makes the job so varied.” But also stressful. “Time is too short and all the tradespeople need to make headway. So I can’t stand in the way for ages,” says Andi.
While he is lowering the supports, a few storeys higher the drywall builders are preparing for the delivery. Andi opens the sides and cover tarpaulin of his four-axle truck and positions the crane. Then pallet after pallet is carried up.
On a balcony, the builders take delivery of the 160 plasterboards. “In previous times, the lads had to carry the boards up one by one,” says Andi and shakes his head. With his 27-metre crane at the rear, that is a thing of the past.
The crane service is an additional service offered by Wego/Vti. Unloading at ground level is also possible. “But where?” asks Andi and looks around – the bit of loamy ground between the site fence and the car park is hardly suitable. “With our crane delivery, the customer saves time and energy,” says Andi, who is now lifting the rolls of insulation felt and several buckets of putty. Then he closes the tarpaulin and stows away the rotating pallet fork at the rear of the Actros.
Little space: With steered leading and trailing axle, Andi makes his way to the unloading point.
The sliding tarpaulin cover makes unloading by crane possible.
Narrow, narrower, construction site.
In the meantime, more small transporters have squeezed their way through the entrance. One is parked right at the exit in a curve. “I am so grateful for the two steered rear axles,” says Andi, who manages to get out just with one reverse move. In addition to the steered leading and trailing axle, the Actros has full-air suspension. “This means I can lift the truck if I am likely to touch the ground somewhere and lower it if I have to get through low entrances.”
Andi’s Actros was manufactured as a three-axle vehicle and was then equipped with the fourth axle by Custom Tailored Trucks in Molsheim, thanks to which more than 12 tonnes of payload is available. The structure comes from the company Kotschenreuther Jahnsdorf and the crane is a Palfinger 34002 SH. Back at location, the next delivery is being loaded: U‑profiles and plasterboards for the next construction site. In contrast to unloading with the crane, in this case a forklift is used on-site to load the material from the side.
At the Wego location in Frankfurt, Andi’s Actros is loaded from the side with a forklift truck.
At the Wego location in Frankfurt, Andi’s Actros is loaded from the side with a forklift truck.
Afterwards, it is time to clock off on this Friday. This evening, he has stable duties – Andi’s daughter has a horse and they are meeting at the stables. And on Saturday they are going on a trip to the woods: a beech tree has to be converted into firewood. No crane, no hectic city traffic or building sites. “I can thoroughly relax.”
Photos: Alex Kraus
Video: Alexander Tempel
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6 comments
Aber was genau haben wir da vor uns❓❓❓
Im Text steht überall "Actros" - aber im Video bei 0:20 steht deutlich "Antos" auf der Front.
@Andi: Weiterhin gute und unfallfreie Fahrt mit diesem klasse Auto - und bewahr dir deine Begeisterung für's Fahren!
Aber was genau haben wir da vor uns❓❓❓
Im Text steht überall "Actros" - aber im Video bei 0:20 steht deutlich "Antos" auf der Front.
@Andi: Weiterhin gute und unfallfreie Fahrt mit diesem klasse Auto - und bewahr dir deine Begeisterung für's Fahren!
Hast völlig recht Dein Actros ist n Wucht besonders als 4-Achser
Technisch auch mega mit Palfinger Kran so macht das arbeiten bestimmt spass.Tolle Bilder und ein schönes Vidio und natürlich hast du recht LKW fahren ist und bleibt kein Job es ist einfach Leidenschaft ohne Ende...zum Glück gibt es genung ""verrückte "" die das genau so sehen.
Liebe Grüsse
Andreas☺️
Hast völlig recht Dein Actros ist n Wucht besonders als 4-Achser
Technisch auch mega mit Palfinger Kran so macht das arbeiten bestimmt spass.Tolle Bilder und ein schönes Vidio und natürlich hast du recht LKW fahren ist und bleibt kein Job es ist einfach Leidenschaft ohne Ende...zum Glück gibt es genung ""verrückte "" die das genau so sehen.
Liebe Grüsse
Andreas☺️
Hut ab und wie gesagt Eng, enger, Baustelle so ist das Leben wie ich es kenne und bestimmt einige andere auch.
Toller Artikel, tolle Fotos und ein tolles Video.
Grüße Jörg 👍👍👍👍💪💪⛟😎😷
Hut ab und wie gesagt Eng, enger, Baustelle so ist das Leben wie ich es kenne und bestimmt einige andere auch.
Toller Artikel, tolle Fotos und ein tolles Video.
Grüße Jörg 👍👍👍👍💪💪⛟😎😷