Metsähallitus (Finland): Giant truck saves money and nature during timber transport

Europe’s largest vehicle combination has begun transporting timber in Lapland. The 104-tonne giant operated by Ketosen Kuljetus transports Metsähallitus’ timber from Inari to Rovaniemi.

Ketosen Kuljetus Oy’s testing licence is valid until the end of 2019. High Capacity Transport (HCT) combinations are able to transport higher amounts of timber per load.

The high payload lowers transport costs. For Metsähallitus, HCT combinations like the 104-tonne giant have a direct impact on the profitability of forestry in northern Finland.

“Our vision is that HCT combinations like this giant will manage long-haul trunk transports in the future, particularly on stretches where rail transport is unavailable,” says Ari Siekkinen, development expert at Metsähallitus. “A range of factors, including long distances, make timber transport conditions challenging in Lapland. Higher efficiency is a must if the aim is to make a living out of this business,” says Risto Ketonen of Ketosen Kuljetus.

HCT transports are environment-friendly due to their lower emissions. Traffic safety will also improve, since higher payloads mean fewer trucks on the road. Many questions have been raised about the bearing capacity of the roads, but the strain on them is more likely to decrease than increase. In studies related to the testing licence, these issues have been examined by Metsäteho, the University of Oulu, Aalto University, Tampere University of Technology and Nokian Tyres.