VEHICLES FOR CIRCULAR ECONOMY
To navigate the world of commercial and industrial vehicles, especially those used for the collection of materials for recycling, is indeed a complicated operation.
It requires knowledge of the technical differences between vehicles, the necessary licences and certifications, and, finally, making the right considerations in terms of long-term profitability.
It is a complex subject and, in this article, we will try to clarify a few elements, to draw up a kind of small vademecum.
Let us begin by distinguishing vehicles from a technical point of view.
What are the main types of vehicles used to transport waste materials?
First of all, we can make a distinction between lorries, trailers, semi-trailers and articulated lorries.
The lorry (or truck) is a single vehicle with its own engine, which for loading can be fitted with a crane, while for unloading it can be fitted with various systems (tipper, tail lift, hydraulic tailgate).
Trailers are vehicles designed to be towed by motor vehicles and may be equipped with a fixed body, roll-off, tipper or moving floor.
Semi-trailers are vehicles built to be coupled to a tractor unit by means of a fifth wheel. They can be tipper (with a vertical unloading system), moving-floor (with a horizontal unloading system), or with a fixed body (body, floor, tanker, etc.).
This solution can be up to 13.60 m, thus offering a large volume of transported goods, and it also allows the tractor unit to be used independently, by coupling a different semi-trailer, without the need to wait to load or unload the transported goods.
A road tractor coupled to a semi-trailer is referred to as an articulated truck (or articulated lorry).
We also often hear, somewhat improperly, the term TIR, whose acronym actually stands for Transports Internationaux Routiers (International Road Transport).
Are there any requirements for driving these vehicles?
Please refer to the specific regulations of the individual countries regarding driving permits.
In Italy, the driving licence C is required to drive freight transport vehicles with a total mass higher than 3.5 t and possibly towing a light trailer.
How to make a choice?
The choice of the ideal vehicle depends on many factors.
The first question we usually ask our customers concerns the type of material being loaded.
Since the materials are the most diverse (metals, wood, glass, plastic, paper, mixed waste, end-of-life tyres and scrap vehicles), it is essential to identify the type that will mostly be transported, in order to choose the right materials (hardox 450, hardox 500, alluminium, …), strength, wear resistance, volume and dimensions for the vehicle.
For example, when it comes to choosing a truck or semi-trailer for scrap, ferrous or non-ferrous, the use of wear-resistant steel instead of aluminium is always recommended for reasons of reliability and durability.
It is also necessary to focus on the dimensions required, to define the dimensions of the body and the extension of the crane, and on the possible provision of sections on sea, river or rail routes (combined transport and intermodal transport).
Finally, it would be important to consider the pick-up locations, which may, for example, require a shorter truck, and delivery locations (sometimes a moving floor or swap body is required instead of tipper unloading).
Focusing since the beginning on all these elements lead to a fully informed choice, assuring profitability in the long run.
Which of these vehicles can Gervasi Ecologica provide?
The solutions offered by Gervasi Ecologica range from lorries with tipping or roll-off bodies to trailers and tipper or moving-floor semi-trailers.
Where required, a crane can also be fitted to the vehicle.
In order to offer each customer maximum flexibility, Gervasi Ecologica works with all major components manufacturers (SAF, JOST, ROR, Haldex, WABCO… ), trucks (Scania, Iveco, DAF, Volvo,…) and cranes (Marchesi, Epsilon, Jonsered, Kesla…).
As far as steel is concerned, the company cooperates with Swedish special steel manufacturer SSAB.
Is it easy to register a Gervasi Ecologica semitrailers?
All production is covered by European Type Approval, so vehicles can easily be registered with the COC, Certificate of Conformity.
What certifications are required for waste management?
Each country has specific requirements for companies operating in the waste materials supply chain.
In Italy, companies wishing to carry out waste collection, transport, trade and intermediation activities must be registered in a special “albo”.
Please refer to https://www.albonazionalegestoriambientali.it for more information.
Other useful articles on our blog?
https://www.gervasiecologica.com/en/2019/02/07/semirimorchi-guida-alla-scelta/
#MovingEcology – #noncifermiamomai
[ssba-buttons]