Dobloug Entreprenör A/S was looking for a solution which would help them get more out of their ploughing, and they decided to go with Mählers.

It’s late April, and Mählers News meets Anders Bjärke, supervisor, and Ivar Överlien, driver, as they pick up one of the haulage company’s trucks, a Scania R430, 2012 from truck chassis building O.L. Engen in Moelv, Norway.

“We have eight snowploughs operating for NCC Roads in the Hamar area and plough the E6 and other areas,” explains Anders Bjärke.

Anders goes on by explaining how the Norwegian road network has changed over the years, with more and more wide roads and how the company constantly reviews its chances of becoming more efficient while also working to meet the ever more stringent demands of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

“We’ve tested a lot of ploughs on the market, and it’ll be really exciting to see how the Mählers side plough works,” says Ivar Överlien, who’s been constantly involved in efforts to find the right plough for the vehicles he drives and the ploughing he does.

More than 15 years’ experience of truck-based ploughing

“The design with twin extensions on the Mählers side plough 45-B was what helped us to decide,” explains Anders Bjärke, referring to the increased working width that will streamline ploughing.

The haulage company has already had good experiences with Mählers products as they have what’s known as a jaw blade/grader blade mounted on one of their trucks.

“Yes, we have an HB5,” says Anders, “and as we have a slightly longer wheelbase on that truck we were also able to take the pivoting blade (HB5). We’ve not regretted that decision for a second.”

Dobloug grades and tears ice with the blade in winter and grades gravel tracks in summer. This is a typical example of how a modern company optimises its trucks for year-round operation.

Besides its trucks, the company’s machine fleet is made up of excavators, wheel loaders and a road grader, and its jobs cover everything from major road construction projects to excavations for construction of apartment buildings, shopping centres, HVAC projects, large service areas and so forth.

The formation of Dobloug Construction AS in 1990 was a continuation of the operations which Ole and Pål Dobloug had launched separately in the late 1980s. At that time, most of their work involved snowploughing for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and other customers. The company’s annual turnover in 1990 was NOK 171 000. It’s seen stable growth year on year since then, and in 2012 its turnover stood at around NOK 124 million. Dobloug Entreprenør AS is co-owned by four people: Even Afseth (28.5%), Joar Grini (29.5%), Pål Dobloug (29.5%) and Mikkel Dobloug (12.5%).

It’s time now for Ivar to drive the truck home, and we get everyone together for a photo in front of the new structure. Ivar and Anders stand next to fitter Nils Oskar Kirkeby and designer Yngve Waaler from O.L. Engen. Just as we take the shot, repairman Kjell Granberg also turns up in the background and we all have a good laugh at the photo, which shows all the people involved in getting the most out of a snowplough.