maintenance truck goes where maintenance is needed
The idea for a mobile maintenance unit was born out of the need to ensure the functionality of equipment services. And to minimise the transports required for servicing as projects continue to move further away and become longer in length. Silvasti’s solution to these needs is the company’s new maintenance truck. This truck takes these services to fleet in need of servicing in Finland, the Nordic countries and continental Europe.
The nature of special transport projects has changed as a result of business operations becoming increasingly international. Before, vehicles would depart from one location and return to their home depot for servicing after delivering their cargo. Now, however, transport projects can last even as long as eight months. In wind power projects, for example, the delivery work sites are often located in uninhabited areas. There conditions are challenging and maintenance services are simply not available.
Once a transport project begins, the expectation is that it will be carried out smoothly in its entirety. There is no time reserved for service breaks. With the maintenance truck, however, equipment no longer need to be transported anywhere from the work site. Instead, the truck can carry out maintenance efficiently and systematically on-site. Servicing the equipment in the same place as where it is used to carry out transports saves time and effort.
Silvasti’s maintenance truck is equipped with an especially designed container. The container is outfitted a wide range of tools for carrying out basic service. These can be for example oil changes or the replacement of hoses and other parts prone to wear and tear. The maintenance truck is driven by Silvasti’s technician, and it’s route is planned as thoroughly as possible. The aim is to always carry out maintenance in a proactive manner.
First service trip to Norway and Sweden fulfilled expectations
On the maintenance truck’s first service trip, the person behind the wheel was Silvasti’s Workshop Manager Jouko Kovanen, who has been involved in the design of the truck since its inception. For the first two weeks of the truck’s operation, Kovanen took it on a tour of work sites in Sweden and Norway.
“The trip went well and the truck proved just as effective as we had hoped. I spent two weeks on the road going from one service job to the next. Although the distances were sometimes long, my spirits remained high throughout the trip and the truck received positive feedback at work sites,” says Kovanen.
During the design of the maintenance truck, Kovanen worked in close collaboration with the manufacturer of the truck’s body. The truck is outfitted with a hydraulic generator as well as compressed air, electrical and washing equipment, which are ideal for a wide variety of basic maintenance tasks and repairs. The vehicle was specifically designed to meet Silvasti’s maintenance needs in lengthy special transport projects.
“We’ve been needing a maintenance truck for a while now, as heavy special equipment is difficult to transport from work sites to the workshop for servicing. Before, we used to take a normal Sprinter van out to carry out maintenance, but the vehicle’s storage volume and capacity were major limiting factors. Based on its first trip, the maintenance truck fulfilled all our expectations and will make our future service efforts much smoother,” Kovanen explains.