Flexiway II - at the top of Micke’s wish list
Driver Mikael ‘Micke’ Sundman at the highways department knew exactly the plough he wanted on his new Scania – a Flexiway II. But procurements have their rules, so the request for tender from head of highways Peter Särnholm called for a ‘Flexiway II or equivalent’.
“In the end we got the real thing, and we are very happy about that,” says Peter Särnholm.
On this particular day, Karlskoga was blessed with one of this winter’s rare snowfalls. Big, heavy, wet snowflakes that soon turn to slush that slows down traffic and in the worst case can stop it completely. Peter Särnholm has mobilized everything he has in terms of manpower and machinery, deploying three trucks – two with Rossö ploughs, one with a side wing, as well as the new Scania R450 Tridem with the Flexiway II – two graders, four wheel loaders, a tractor and contractors.
“We’re responsible for 100 miles of road in Karlskoga, of which 12 miles must be gritted and salted, as well as 50 miles of cycle tracks and footpaths,” says Peter between phone calls on this hectic day.
Changeable weather a problem in another break between calls, Peter tells us that it’s not major snowfalls that actually cost time and money, but the constant switching between freezing and thaw causes much more trouble and occurs more frequently. “Like the other week… Geez, things got slippery in an instant! There was a thin film of ice on everything. That day we used up 300 tonnes of sand in fifteen hours. Last summer, when Mikael Sundman’s old truck from 2003 with a manual gearbox was replaced by a new truck with automatic transmission and paddle shift, he was pretty insistent on how it should be equipped. It had to have a curved dashboard and four cameras for maximum safety.
Flexible in town
“And I also wanted a Flexiway II. I’d read about it in a trucking magazine and it was just what I needed. The side extension makes it flexible in city traffic and roundabouts and all, and of course you avoid the side wing then.” The side wing was a necessary evil for Mikael. It was essential for a good result, but it demanded constant attention in the rearview mirror. “I was turning my head all day long and by evening I was tired out and had a stiff neck.
Not as tired
The side extension is not the only refinement Mikael likes. With Flexiway II, he can also set the plough pressure on the road surface. “There’s an enormous difference to a plough in float mode. Flexiway clears the road perfectly, even from hard-packed snow. Changing the truck and the equipment has given Mikael Sundman a big boost. “Indeed, the difference is like night and day. I get my work done quicker and better too. What’s more, I have a better work environment, and even when the days are longer I’m not as tired as I often was before.”