No one needs to be convinced that road transport is one of the most developed branches of transportation, as is the infrastructure that is dedicated to it. It can be carried out by minibuses up to 3.5 tons in weight, in which case we are talking about light transport, or by trucks and truck sets exceeding the aforementioned 3.5 tons in weight, in which case we are dealing with heavy transport.
Truck drivers must have a category C driver’s license (C+E in the case of a truck with a trailer), while a category B license is sufficient to drive a bus up to 3.5 tons. In the case of heavy transport, the carrier must also meet additional requirements, such as having a tachograph in the vehicle and complying with European regulations on driver’s working hours.
LCL Spedition’s buses
LCLSpedition’s fleet includes both heavy and light transport vehicles. As for light transport, which we want to focus on in this article, the company has more than a hundred Renault buses with bodies made by DPR, and the average age of LCL Spedition’s fleet is one and a half years. Both the vehicle manufacturer and the company that manufactures and assembles the bodies get detailed guidelines from the customer on what features the vehicle should have before buying the cars.
What are the characteristics of LCL Spedition’s buses?
All our buses have a special feature – a 30 cm raised roof, after which the height of the interior of the body is increased to 2.65 meters. This functionality allows you to bridge the gap between light and heavy transport due to the ability to take on lightweight cargo and high cargo at the same time. This is an ideal option when carrying out orders for transporting machinery or glass. The roof is raised using a manual assisted system operated by the vehicle driver – the entire process takes no longer than 5 minutes. Why is this such a significant feature? Raising the roof increases the interior space of the body, allowing more goods to be placed – so you definitely gain in efficiency of transportation, reducing its cost. On the other hand, in the case of transporting a smaller amount of products, when the roof lift is not needed, the return to the regular size of the vehicle reduces the air resistance generated while driving, thus reducing fuel burn. For our company, environmental issues are very important, using buses with the roof height adjustment function is not only an attention to cost optimization and adaptation to the needs of customers, but also an expression of concern for the environment of our planet.
When is it best to transport by buses?
Transportation by buses works great in situations when we want to transport light goods (such as Styrofoam), when the shipment is to be delivered in no time, or when the customer does not have the amount of goods that would take up a truck. Just-in-time and Door to Door fast deliveries, in particular, are an important part of the offering for e-commerce and automotive customers, where delivery lead times are crucial. It should also be remembered that trucks over 3.5 tons are not able to reach everywhere due to their size – this is when smaller and more maneuverable vans come into action.
When choosing a carrier with which to cooperate, it is worth paying attention to those who have a fleet of both heavy and light vehicles, as is the case with LCL Spedition.
