The river Lech flows quietly through Landsberg, its calm interrupted only by the steady murmur of the picturesque weir. A little off the beaten path, nestled in the green landscape, stands a hydroelectric power station. This is where nature meets heavy-duty technology — as the CombiMAX PA-X semi-trailer from Wiedemann Transporte embarks on its very first mission.
“There are still a few vehicles in the way, we’ll need to move those first,” says driver Luca Weber as he surveys the site. Once the area is cleared, the 2+6 axle semi low loader rolls onto the rain-soaked construction site, reverses, and maneuvers precisely into position. Space is tight, but with a steering angle of up to 60 degrees, that’s no issue. Waiting on a small slope is the 73-ton drilling rig. Its work here is done — now it’s time to load up. With centimeter precision, the operator drives the massive machine onto the 900-millimeter-wide double ramps. Luca calmly signals the way with hand gestures. “A little more to the left.” Then it's a perfect fit. Chains secure the machine, stones and soil are cleared away. The first stage is complete.
Where nature meets engineering
The gate at the plant is narrow, but the exit goes smoothly. Then the loaded rig rolls past the quietly flowing river. The destination: the edge of a nearby residential area, where the vehicle will wait for nightfall. “That went really well,” Luca sums up, satisfied. In the evening, Manuel Hoim takes the wheel. The rig measures 4.45 meters in height, with 95 kilometers ahead to the final destination in Schrobenhausen. There at customer Yurekli’s site, the drilling rig will be prepared for its next job. The CombiMAX PA-X is made for challenges like this. With a telescopic loading platform that extends up to 15.4 meters and an axle load capacity of 12 tons, it offers significantly more payload than Wiedemann’s previous model — all while being more compact. “Before we set off, we’ll adjust the driving height,” says Manuel, reaching for the measuring stick. This is where one of the key strengths of the CombiMAX PA-X becomes clear: the loading height can be lowered to just 790 millimeters.
Special transport is teamwork
Meanwhile, Luca has taken his place in the escort vehicle. He radios directions for the route. Flashing beacons put the rig in the spotlight. At one intersection, traffic briefly halts; then, the team nimbly navigates a 90-degree turn and heads uphill through Landsberg. Passersby stop to watch — the crew is used to drawing amazed looks. Before long, the highway is reached. Numerous underpasses pose no obstacle. It’s nighttime when the Wiedemann team arrives at the destination. But in heavy-duty transport, there’s no such thing as clocking out. The drilling rig is unloaded — and only then does the calm return.
“Everything went according to plan, just the way it should,” Manuel and Luca agree. Ramps up, chains stowed. And the next job for the CombiMAX PA-X is already waiting.
Publication: 05/2025