Take a walk on the wide side

Sales & marketing director Alexander Baumann predicts the growing use of electric power in the UK sideloader market, when appropriate, although he acknowledges the role diesel sideloaders play in Britain.

Greater use of electric models could be driven by an increasingly stiff regulatory environment for diesel driven engines.

All diesel engines greater than 56kW are subject to Interim Tier 4/Stage III B emissions regulations, meaning they must dramatically reduce the emission of soot particles and NOX gases.

This is closing the price gap between the two truck power choices.

Alexander Baumann says: “Electric trucks can be cheaper because you don’t have the expense of meeting emissions regulations. 

“Diesels are also high maintenance, with air, fuel and oil filters requiring change every 500 hours of use. With electric models the hydraulic filter can be changed every 2,000 hours. Although of course the cost of the battery and changing facilities must be priced in.”

Bulmor electric models reach up to 8 tonnes in capacity. The UK market is largely dominated by diesel models, but in some European markets, such as Switzerland, electric models have greater than 50% market share. 

While electric models are less prone to vibration and operate more smoothly, many truck users prefer diesel models.

“You have to drive electric sideloaders differently,” continues Alexander Baumann. “The operator should adjust to the different driving characteristics. It depends a lot on the driving culture of a company’s operators.”

At Bulmor’s site in Perg, Austria, sideloaders and multi-directional trucks are built to order. This is not a facility or product type geared up to mass production, with robots and automated assembly lines.

Alex explains: “The products are made ‘by hand’, using highly qualified people. We firmly believe it is the people that make it happen. They are good machines, but we never forget they are made by good people.”

A sideloader chassis is difficult to build. In use, the load shifts from side to side and this creates significant pressures the unit must be able to withstand. With sideloaders the counterweight is offside from the forks to help balance when forks are extended and a heavy load taken on. Excelling at this emphasises the high quality of people and processes Bulmor brings to bear on the challenge.

The forces generated by operating sideloaders are tough on axles so Bulmor builds its own to suit each individual truck.

The lead time for trucks is typically four months and can be longer for specials. As well as manufacturing, time is spent with the client checking which specification will work best in specific site conditions.

Variations can include anything from additional steps, a different joystick or tires, through to a camera system and higher reaching masts. This has become particularly popular in the UK timber industry where many timber firms are keen to fully utilise the space in their warehouses by building racking higher.

Trucks can also be specified with different width of platforms. It is usual for trucks in the aluminium sector to have narrow platforms for transporting for aluminium profiles, but, for example, when moving chipboard a broader platform is preferred.

If specified and maintained correctly, the life of sideloader can be 15-20 years, so it certainly pays to get it right.

Bulmor is happy to tailor the trucks to suit the customer. For example, some customers want basic models designed without electric components that are simple to fix. Others want the benefits that come with CANBUS such as remote diagnostics and automated safety features.

The attention to detail is also evident in tire choice. Bulmor uses tires that are as big as possible, as this is better wearing and more comfortable for the operator on long runs. But there is a trade off as the customer typically wants a low bed as well as a big tire.

Bulmor has noted the 4-way multidirectional truck market growing quickly. Alexander Baumann sees the sideloaders predominating at, for example, the sawmill, but downstream at the timber warehouse the 4-way truck finds it niche. The 4-ways are made for indoors and outside but not for rough terrain.

To conclude, managing director Julian Pötzl outlines Bulmor’s growth strategy, which will focus on expanding product lines and expansion into new verticals and geographies.

“Sideloaders is a €300m market and we have a significant share. But we are not present in all markets, so part of our growth will be achieved through expansion in new areas such as the former Eastern bloc countries.

“We are strong in building materials and we are also targeting new industries such as aircraft maintenance. 

“We also want to expand from our sideloader base further into multidirectional trucks.”