Not just an exemplary Arocs driver: Thomas Rebhan

Story

The professional role model.

Thomas Rebhan delivers wood chip to wholesale customers and private households. ROUTE spent a day with him on board his Arocs 3248.

The Arocs belonging to Sturmberger in Wartberg on the Krems is on the road transporting wood chip, bark mulch and premium pellets from the company's own production facility.


Football is a sport where you often read players' body language. You can tell from the way a player moves how they are that day. The facial expression tells you how motivated the footballer is and their reaction to a missed opportunity shows you whether their heart is really in it or not. If you watch Thomas Rebhan, an analysis like that would class him as a "professional role model". Thomas Rebhan, 34 years of age, earns his living as a truck driver for Sturmberger in Wartberg on the River Krems in the Traun district of Upper Austria. And he loves his job.

This becomes clear when we reach Niederneukirchen, about 35 kilometres north-east of the Sturmberger headquarters in Wartberg. There, not far from the centre of the village with just 2000 residents, Thomas is preparing a hose.



Next to him is his clean washed Arocs 3248 with a wood chip attachment, and in front of him – grey in grey – a production facility with a silo about 20 metres high, which is now to be filled with the fuel material from the truck. Thomas Rebhan carefully attaches the hose of the telescopic tube to the vehicle using an F coupling; he also attaches a short piece of hose at the other end. Every gesture is perfect. He glances to check, then transfers the telescopic tube from a horizontal to a vertical position. It’s showtime!

Thomas Rebhan can start and regulate the procedure via the manual pump control in the driver's cab. The press of a button, and the compressor starts sucking in up to 35,000 litres of air per minute and at the same time pumping 0.7 to 0.8 cubic metres of wood chip into the silo. The Arocs vibrates gently, and a humming sound serves to remind us of the enormous strain currently being placed on Thomas's back.

He now has the task of monitoring the pumping procedure. He has two monitors above the centre console to help him; these display the images from a total of three cameras. You can see how the quantity of chopped wood steadily shrinks, and what is happening behind his vehicle – just to be on the safe side. Alternatively, he could activate the camera on the crane body when spreading bark mulch, so as to have a view of everything happening outside his direct range of vision.


Thomas Rebhan's every gesture is perfect – here he is preparing to unload his Arocs.


Thomas Rebhan repeatedly activates one of the four screw conveyors using the manual pump control on the body. This loosens up the material. A walking floor system transfers the wood chip to another screw conveyor and it drops down a hatch to the level below. From there, two screw conveyors transport the material to the end of the vehicle, where a rotary air lock – "pretty much the heart of the system," says Thomas – seals off the air supply and wood chip is pumped into the hose.

"It sounds more complicated than it is," says 34-year-old Thomas, who to a large extent works "by feel" using the manual control. "With time, you just know which button to press. Like if the sound from the pump changes slightly or the vehicle starts rocking almost unnoticeably." So you really have to understand the body language of the 4-axle truck and interpret the pump properly in order to operate it.

Franz Sturmberger, the company director, is a master at the game too. Over twenty years ago, he set up his own business with only a tractor, a wood chopper and the vision of manufacturing wood chip. Since then he has steadily pursued his own path, despite many setbacks. "If someone suddenly tries out something new, then that sends out shock waves," says Franz Sturmberger, looking back to when he started up his company. "You mustn't let that discourage you, or you will have lost before you start."

Sturmberger speaks from experience. Shortly after setting up the company, he invested in a Mercedes-Benz 1928 SK with all-wheel drive, which accompanied him "through thick and thin for many years" and laid the foundation stone for the company which now employs 50 people. "I could always rely totally on the vehicle, and that is the main reason why I've stayed loyal to the three-pointed star."



The fleet currently comprises 24 trucks. The company's main business is the production, transport and marketing of wood chip, bark mulch and premium pellets. The latter are produced in the company's own pellet manufacturing facility in Wels. Franz's son Bernhard is now the boss there. The second son, Florian, is responsible for the workshop and the fleet at the Wartberg headquarters, and when interviewed he turns out to be a Mercedes fan too: "The quality of the vehicles is top-notch, they have low fuel consumption, the resale value is good, and the service network and guarantee are good. There's nothing to complain about with the vehicles – quite the contrary, in fact."

Thomas Rebhan only has good things to say about his truck. "The best thing is the amazing lock of the steering, and for a vehicle almost twelve metres long that's a great benefit, particularly at junctions." And his daily business means he often encounters tricky road conditions as, in addition to large customers, he also delivers to people's homes. "In towns, the roads can sometimes be very narrow and it's harder to drive," he says. "And of course it can get slippery in winter, when I have to drive to remote houses and the roads haven't been cleared properly."

Thomas Rebhan leaps out of his cab. He goes to the end of the Arocs, uncouples the hose and stows all the equipment away in its right place. Thomas can use his physical strength, but he knows how to be careful, which is essential in his profession. He has an expression of concentration. Don't forget the coupling spanner. Job done! He leans on the truck and breathes deeply. No doubt about it: the man from Upper Austria enjoys his work. His heart is in his job and he is highly motivated. Just as you would expect from a professional role model.

Photos: Bubu Dujmic

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