A spectacular heavy-haulage operation took place in Germany recently, with an Airbus A 320 being transported by a heavy-haulage Mercedes-Benz Actros SLT tractor unit. The operation drew crowds wherever it passed, which was no surprise when you look at the vital statistics involved: 60m long, 90t in weight and 5m wide.

The Actros SLT with around 630hp was given the task of with transporting the Airbus A 320 from Tallinn (Estonia) to southern Germany. Stuttgart-based heavy-haulage firm PAULE took about 11 days to move the fuselage after it was damaged during a heavy landing.

A truck ferry took the freight across the Baltic Sea to Lübeck’s docks. From there the heavy-haulage team took three nights to cross Hamburg, Magdeburg, Nuremberg and Stuttgart before heading for the northern part of the Black Forest. Twice along the route, the Airbus heavy-haulage convoy had to leave the motorway to avoid low bridges. Plus, after the Actros SLT left the motorway and was driving along a side road at one point, the driver had to drive the long combination backwards so as to be able to re-enter the motorway in the opposite direction. A second Actros SLT was also brought in in readiness for the freight arriving at its final destination. On a tight and steep forest road, the SLT duo brought the Airbus to its new home on the training grounds of the KSK Special Forces Command in Calw. There, the Airbus will be put to use as part of realistic training scenarios for the protection of airline passengers.

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