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The differences are impressive
The nation’s largest trucking companies report annual profits in the millions. While these years of tougher moves between states and the economic downturn have become a serious test, even the smallest operators can make money. Especially if you managed to renew your HGV fleet before stagnation. It is this area that requires the most investment.
Even if the carrier bought more than 100 thousand. a tractor with a semi-trailer that costs 1000 euros, its costs do not end there. With the help of experts, we found out how much it costs to maintain a powerful vehicle compared to similar costs for a passenger car. Some of the figures are really impressive.
What if you need to change the car oil? The driver of the car, without turning his head for a long time, will go to the nearest service station, where for about 100 euros he will change the lubricants and filters and pay for the work. If you suddenly remember that you do not have winter tires yet and the cold is already hitting the windows, you will have to scratch your wallet much more seriously – a decent set of new tires will cost 200-400 euros. The cost isn’t low, but it’s just a joke compared to the parts prices charged by truck owners.
Includes up to 12 tires
According to Boris Ignatiev, a specialist in the repair of tractors and other heavy vehicles, it is difficult for an ordinary driver to imagine how much money is required for basic work, not for a car, but for a truck or tractor.
Geography: According to B. Ignatiev, faults can be used to distinguish which transport operates in Eastern Europe and which on western highways.
“Heavy haulage has to be much more reliable than usual, parts have to withstand incomparably higher loads, last longer, and therefore their prices are correspondingly higher,” Ignatiev said.
According to the specialist, the prices of spare parts and services can vary up to ten times compared to light transport. The numbers are staggering, but realistic.
You can also buy a new car tire for 40 euros, and premium tractor shoes cost up to 400 euros. But that’s not the saddest news yet: a passenger car has enough four tires, and a tractor with a semi-trailer may need eight or even twelve of them. It is not difficult to calculate that, with a fair replacement of all the tires, the investment would exceed 4 thousand. euros. True, the service life of a quality tire is also short – it reaches 250 thousand. km.
Motor oil – in buckets
The situation is similar for another popular service: the oil change. 5 l of oil is enough for the car, and the tractor engine, which has a capacity of about 500 hp, will gladly accept 36 l, that is, about three full buckets. Along with the replacement of lubricants, the oil, fuel and air filters are instantly billed at 400 euros. In addition, the number of filters for trucks is also higher as they even have multiple fuel filters, an Adblue system, a dehumidifying filter, etc.
On the other hand, the good quality of the oil ensures a longer change cycle. Therefore, it is recommended to change the car oil about every 15 thousand. km, and for a tractor – only every 100-120 thousand. km.
The coolant also flows freely. When the so-called antifreeze escapes, a 5 l tank would be enough for a normal car and about 40 liters would be needed for heavy transport. One of the most influential places for tractors and semi-trailers are the so-called air systems. Over time, they wear out, air bags explode, and energy accumulators, brake chambers, and diaphragms leak.
If the owner of an old Audi feels that the battery is getting hopelessly weak in the winter, it can easily be swapped out for another quality battery for 100 euros or less. And under the hood of the tractor there are even two batteries, each costing about 200 euros.
And after all, these are just trivia. Larger repairs can also be completed at five-digit expense. In the event of a more serious car breakdown, waiting for the tail to be repaired, we are often already dissatisfied and look forward to the days when we will be behind the wheel again. It is true that there are many alternatives to this: public transport, taxis, short or long term rental. Even if we incur additional costs, they will not be high. The tractor cannot wait for repairs for a longer period of time, as it is estimated that a day of its stop costs more than 100 euros. In other words, without leaving the track for a couple of weeks, the owner can experience around 1.5 thousand. loss of EUR. Of course, a replacement tractor can be rented, but it will certainly require a four-digit euro amount.
One million is not the limit
In Lithuania, the majority of car purchases are used vehicles. For reasons of economy, these decisions are also made by individual carriers. But here too there are differences. When calculating depreciation, the car will travel 200 thousand. km are already considered a solid boundary. Meanwhile, a tractor that spun 0.5 million. km, it is still considered very suitable for work and its price can reach 50 thousand. euros or more. Not surprisingly, you can often see 1 million people at auctions. km of trucks.
Contrast: The tire and tool scales for conventional and heavy vehicles do not differ in percentage, but sometimes.
Ignatiev made an interesting observation. Since its Ivetra ir ko service serves trucks with routes through all European regions, in the long term, specific faults and problems of the east (Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, etc.) or more of the transport by Western European highway. This is determined by factors such as weather conditions, the condition of the road, holes, dirt, salt, and even the quality of the fuel. It’s no wonder that westbound transportation looks much better after five years than one that travels miles east.
The specialist has repeatedly had to deal with a situation where, when a tow truck arrives in service, it appears that it has been off the road for years.
“Just to restore the normal appearance of a car that returns from the East in winter after a trip, we spent more than an hour at the car wash. The crushed sand and ice with ice can be weighed in kilograms ”, said the interlocutor.
Vehicles returning from the West often have to repair various mechanical damages: scratches on ramps, barriers, etc.
From the old town – by helicopter
Perhaps the saddest scenario is that of repairing cars after an accident. It is not difficult to imagine that a tractor weighing around 8 t with a semi-trailer of the same weight is much more difficult to stop than a car weighing 1.5 t. What if the tractor is still carrying several tons of cargo?
Curiosity: a Lithuanian tug had to fly by helicopter in one of the ancient cities of Europe.
Unfortunately, in the words of one specialist, this is far from being understood by all road users who compete with a truck, maneuver it carelessly, or simply block it abruptly. Tugboat repair bills then soar into the five figures, with consequences sometimes even fatal.
It is true that Ignatiev knows many funny stories, as he jokes, although cheap. The truck driver, who once called the service, recounted the recent adventure of his colleagues, after which he had to pay a bill of several thousand euros. An inexperienced driver from Lithuania entered the old town of one of Europe’s big cities, but stopped after approaching a narrow bridge; the obstacle was insurmountable. Because the traffic was one-way, there was an immediate large traffic jam. On a narrow but busy street, there was no room to turn the tractor or back into reverse gear. When the situation seemed stagnant, a solution was found. True, extremely expensive. A towed helicopter blew the tractor out of the old town by air!
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