Lavettikuljetus Alanne expands into new territory with two Caterpillars

In the spring, entrepreneur Aleksi Alanne had no idea that his world would expand in an instant. Having worked in the transport business for over ten years, five of which as an entrepreneur, Alanne suddenly found himself a proud owner of two Caterpillars with contract work starting immediately.

There were, however, small hints in this direction for Lavettikuljetus Alanne Oy in the past. After being in charge of the moves and transports at Peab’s facility for years, Lavettikuljetus Alanne has gained a reputation as a particularly trustworthy partner. A new contractor for feeding and load handling was needed at the facility. Aleksi Alanne seemed like the perfect choice. And there was no time to waste. The only requirement was that the machines had to be better than the previous contractor’s. “One of the reasons why we are now doing machine contract work as well as transports, is probably the fact that Lavettikuljetus Alanne’s policy makes us trustworthy”, Aleksi Alanne says.

The transport company focuses on the move and transport of larger objects, such as pile drivers, crushers and prefabricated buildings. A full-size crushing plant can be moved in three days, with longer distances taking up to a week. Irrespective of the object, the schedule always holds. This has also been witnessed at Peab.

A day and a half and two Cats

“With the facility’s machine contracting deal sealed, there were only two days left for getting the machines to the site. As we had no machines of our own, I asked an acquaintance, who they thought I should call. They recommended Heikki Koskema at Avesco and after contacting him, we immediately began exchanging ideas. Cat was a favourite right from the beginning, but the final decision was made when Avesco turned out to be the only importer who was able to give an exact delivery date for the machines. It took about a day and a half with Heikki for us to acquire a used 972M in great condition and we also got a used 988K to use while waiting for the delivery of our new one. In a matter of two days, the machines were already hard at work at the facility”, says Aleksi.

The machinery acquisition projects of Lavettikuljetus Alanne have provided a good background for its expansion into new territory. The acquisition of large loaders is not an operation based on gut feelings. It is based on exact calculations and knowledge of the operating field. A new Cat 988K is an expensive piece of machinery, but a used one may well cost more in the end, especially in this size class. This is because the absence of a large machine would mean great delays at the site. And a replacement for a machine of this size cannot be found in the next village. Reliability is key. If the contract work goes on for a decade, one machine makes a great difference to the company’s profit.

Euros per tonne and small changeable costs

When it comes to massive loaders, costs are usually calculated per tonnes moved. The accuracy of the calculations is in the 10-cent range. Upkeep, maintenance and fuel costs make a big difference. The new Cat 988K has a tree-year or 8,000-hour warranty. A maintenance contract has also been signed. The three-year contract work deal will only take slightly more work hours than the warranty covers. It is comforting to know that no funds need to be earmarked for taking care of technical troubles. The new 988K has also already proved to be very economical. When compared to the older version, fuel consumption per 16-hour day is about 150 litres less. This means a savings of more than 10,000 euros annually. “Fuel consumption is expected to drop further as the drivers keep learning and receive training and as the sliding surfaces of the machine become more slippery”, Aleksi adds.

Cat hours

Big loaders can rack up a lot of hours during the years, especially when machines are refurbished. Tens of thousands is a common number. “I know of Cat loaders that were built in 1963 and are still operating”, says Mikko Raiskio, Product Manager at Avesco.

Aleksi tells of transporting a series 1 980 Cat, in which the original engine and power train had already racked up 42,000 operating hours. The new 988K is expected to accumulate a lot of hours. When it arrived on site, all the drivers immediately wanted to give the machine a go. And liked it.

Cats quarry version

The Cat 988K is equipped with a Finnish bucket. It weighs 7 tonnes and has a capacity of 8.2 cubic metres. The machine is the right size, when it is considered that it has to penetrate the quarry face, which usually consists of blasted rocks. Power is needed as well as traction. On the other hand, the adjustable traction control ensures that the tyres won’t wear unnecessarily.

Original article and photo published at Hankintavinkit 6-7/2020