Mercedes-Benz Delivers Specially Converted Truck to the Viktor Baumann Company

THE VIKTOR BAUMANN COMPANY HAVE TAKEN OWNERSHIP OF A SPECIALLY CONVERTED HEAVY DUTY MERCEDES-BENZ, WITH A 1,000 TONNE TOWING CAPACITY.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has delivered a specially converted truck for heavy-duty transport (SLT) to the Viktor Baumann company. The maximum trailer load of the new Arocs SLT 4463 AS 8×6 is 1,000 tons.

In the future, the heavy-duty transport company will use their new truck for the transportation of transformers and heat exchangers.

The Arocs SLT 4463 AS 8×6 is the only all-wheel drive truck in the Arocs model series with a wide cab. The retrofitted BigSpace cab enables two-man operation during long assignments. This important step in the conversion process was done by the Paul Nutzfahrzeuge company. Also involved in the conversion of the vehicle were the Mercedes-Benz Trucks contract partner RKG TruckService, the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant and the Mercedes-Benz Molsheim conversion plant.

Ronald Ott (Head of Sales Mercedes-Benz Trucks & FUSO Germany): “Today we are handing over a vehicle that sets new standards in heavy-duty transport after several months of conversion. Thanks to the excellent cooperation of all partners involved, we are confident that this heavy-duty truck will convince on every lane meter and offer a very comfortable workplace for the driver.”

Matthias Kirschner (Fleet Manager at Viktor Baumann): “With such a truck in our fleet, there is practically nothing that would be too big or too heavy for us. The conversion companies have done an excellent job here and have delivered exactly what we wanted.”

In the extreme heavy-duty applications of Baumann, two, three or more trucks coupled together pull a multi-axle platform, such as a low loader or a girder bridge, from the front, while another truck pushes from the rear. The new Mercedes-Benz Arocs SLT 4463 AS 8×6 with a trailer load of up to 1,000 tons on the trailer coupling is intended as the last towing vehicle and thus as a link to the trailer. The transportation of such loads is necessary, for example, to bring heavy and large, non-divisible goods such as heat exchangers or current transformers to their destination.

The vehicle already had a reinforced frame and the appropriate drivetrain ex works. With a retrofitted leading axle, installed heavy-duty couplings at the front and rear and the heavy-duty slider, the technical prerequisites for heavy-duty operations were created at the Mercedes-Benz truck plant in Molsheim. In order to get more pressure on the wheels and thus increase traction, a so-called ballast platform was installed at Paul Nutzfahrzeuge in Lower Bavaria. The Paul conversion team also implemented the extensive conversion to the wide cab.

In mid-October 2023 just under a year after production of the initial vehicle, the specially converted truck returned to Wörth am Rhein. On time for handover, specialists from TÜV approved the special-purpose vehicle in accordance with §13 EG-FGV. The vehicle is therefore immediately ready for use and, right after handover, rolls along the Rhine to Viktor Baumann’s headquarters between Bonn and Cologne.

With more than 130 years of experience, the Viktor Baumann considers itself one of the leading heavy-duty specialists in Germany. At Baumann headquarters, the team is already planning for the coming transport operation using the strong new addition to its fleet. Upcoming routes are calculated to the centimetre, with special attention to key points such as bridges, tight curves or inclines. As soon as all the necessary approvals have been obtained, the new, 625 hp Mercedes-Benz Arocs SLT 4463 AS 8×6 will be on the road for the first time. Most likely, it will drive at night, coupled with other trucks reaching a gross combination weight of up to well over 1,000 tons.