Extra powerful: Erik Pernet turns out in the new Hamse Sleepdienst Actros 3363
Vehicle & Technology
Fast and efficient vehicle recovery at a fixed price is all part of the daily work at Hamse Sleepdienst. Now this task will be carried out with an Actros.
Tightly secured! HSD driver, Erik Pernet, demonstrates how he secures the front wheels of the truck he is recovering.
Tightly secured! HSD driver, Erik Pernet, demonstrates how he secures the front wheels of the truck he is recovering.
Tightly secured! HSD driver, Erik Pernet, demonstrates how he secures the front wheels of the truck he is recovering.
Tightly secured! HSD driver, Erik Pernet, demonstrates how he secures the front wheels of the truck he is recovering.
The bright yellow Hamse Sleepdienst (HSD) recovery trucks are a sight for sore eyes for many drivers. That’s because these vehicles provide assistance in an emergency when they cannot continue their journey following a breakdown or accident. Erik Pernet has been on the roads in the company’s latest addition: an Actros 3363. He deals with accidents on the E 313 and E 314, where the company is responsible for fast vehicle recovery when every second counts. But that’s not the company’s only line of work, as they also deal with breakdowns all over Belgium and vehicle transfers across Europe.
“To be honest, I’m always on standby. Even when I’ve been on the road for several days in Italy or Scandinavia, for example,” says Erik while he calmly steers his truck through the heavy traffic. He’s especially pleased with the driving comfort of his new work machine: “You need about a day to get used to the high seat, but because the Actros drives so smoothly and the equipment is so modern, I immediately felt at home in my new truck. The cab is spacious, the bed is comfortable and wide enough to sleep on. Pulling away for the first time was super: because it pulls away so gently and is so quiet, it actually felt quite slow. But of course it was just deceptive.”
His employer, Michel Lemmens, represents the third generation of the family-run business now located in Tessenderlo, Belgium. HSD is one of the pioneers of Road Service Assistance (RSA), a network of professional vehicle recovery companies for both goods and passenger vehicles which is managed from within Belgium.
Recently Michel Lemmens chose a Mercedes-Benz for the first time. “We work for almost all of the vehicle brands, that is why we buy trucks from different manufacturers. At the end of the day, we need to satisfy everyone involved. Until recently we didn’t consider Mercedes-Benz for loading vehicles because the brand didn’t have the combination of a large tractor unit and heavy axles suitable for us. However when the Actros 6x4 with an output of 460 kW came onto the market, we chose the brand with the star.”
HSD configures the heavy-duty recovery vehicles themselves to suit their requirements. A cab and a heavy-duty chassis are bought for this purpose. “It is however important that we can cover long distances comfortably with each configuration,” says Michel Lemmens. He buys the system from Fiault and builds it in Tessenderlo with three suppliers in accordance with the guidelines from HSD and the vehicle manufacturer.
“It is important that our heavy-duty recovery vehicles can cover long distances comfortably.”
– Michel Lemmens, Managing Director of Hamse
Sleepdienst
Pure power. The new Actros 3363 in action at Hamse Sleepdienst.
Pure power. The new Actros 3363 in action at Hamse Sleepdienst.
Pure power. The new Actros 3363 in action at Hamse Sleepdienst.
Pure power. The new Actros 3363 in action at Hamse Sleepdienst.
The fleet comprises five heavy-duty recovery vehicles, two crane trucks carrying cranes with a capacity of 125 and 180 t/m, two service vehicles – including one with an air cushion for re-righting trucks – and three flat-bed trailers for passenger cars as well as a street cleaning machine. The heavy-duty trucks are all equipped with a wheel-lift system. Lemmens: “The advantage here is that the axle distribution is better than when using a fork system. Plus there is no point loading and subsequently no risk of the axles on the recovered vehicle buckling.”
Photos: Dirk Willemen
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16 comments
Ich selbst bin auch mit dem Abschleppen groß geworden und weiß, was das für eine Arbeit ist... Von 1981 bis 2009 waren wir im Besitz eines lp 813 mit Brille... Heute muss alles schnell schnell gehen , die Technik geht weiter , die Maschinen werden größer.
Alles in allem sehr toller Beitrag !
Ich selbst bin auch mit dem Abschleppen groß geworden und weiß, was das für eine Arbeit ist... Von 1981 bis 2009 waren wir im Besitz eines lp 813 mit Brille... Heute muss alles schnell schnell gehen , die Technik geht weiter , die Maschinen werden größer.
Alles in allem sehr toller Beitrag !
Heute denke ich anders meine Ziele haben sich geändert aber der enorme Respekt bleibt
Heute denke ich anders meine Ziele haben sich geändert aber der enorme Respekt bleibt
Hab so ein Dreiachser noch nicht gesehen.
OK hab gerade gelesen hat vorteile beim Bergen OK und warum haben dann andere nur Vierachser 😜
Hab so ein Dreiachser noch nicht gesehen.
OK hab gerade gelesen hat vorteile beim Bergen OK und warum haben dann andere nur Vierachser 😜
Was mich wundert, der große Radstand schränkt doch die Beweglichkeit ein?
Gruß
Klaus
Was mich wundert, der große Radstand schränkt doch die Beweglichkeit ein?
Gruß
Klaus
das ist eine gute Frage! Wir haben sie an unseren Ansprechpartner weitergeleitet und melden uns bei dir mit der Antwort, sobald wir sie haben. 😊
das ist eine gute Frage! Wir haben sie an unseren Ansprechpartner weitergeleitet und melden uns bei dir mit der Antwort, sobald wir sie haben. 😊