DELIVERING UNIQUE, HEAVY-HAULAGE TECHNOLOGY Doll Fahrzeugbau is a market leader in the development of heavy transport solutions. Philip Yorke talked to Patrick Spitznagel, the company’s sales director for heavy vehicles, about its latest semi-trailer technology, new ‘Trailer-in-a-box’ option and its move into the expanding Indian market.
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oll Fahrzeugbau AG is a privately owned, family-managed business that was founded in Germany in 1878. The company began trading as a wagon-works and went on to produce all types of carriages and forestry tools and equipment, before moving into the heavy haulage sector in the 1970s. Since then it has seen consistent growth and in 2009 opened a new, state-of-the-art facility in Mildenau, Germany, to extend its manufacturing capabilities. Now in its fourth generation of family management, the company is recognised as a global leader in its specialised area of heavy-haulage transport solutions. Doll Fahrzeugbau’s headquarters and its extensive manufacturing and R&D facilities are located in Oppenau in the Black Forest. 164 Industry Europe
Despite the prevailing adverse global trading conditions, last year the company managed to increase its turnover by over 10 per cent, to record sales in 2012 of more than €62 million.
Diverse, heavy-haulage solutions For many years, Doll has pioneered the special trailer technology that drives the heavy haulage industry. Its products are divided into five distinct product groups. These are platform semitrailers, low-bed semi-trailers and drop-bed semi-trailers, as well as self-steering trailers and off-road vehicles. In addition to the proven technology developed for its Vario heavy-haulage series, the company is also responsible for the world’s most manoeuvrable semi-trailers, the panther series, with its patented self-steer-
ing technology and independent heavy-duty suspension systems. The range of applications for Doll’s hightech, heavy haulage solutions is unlimited and ranges from military applications for the transportation of tanks and heavy armour, to special scissor-lift vehicles for the catering and construction industries. This is in addition to the diverse range of industries it serves that include railways, forestry, energy and oil refineries, all of which require the transportation of massive and unusual loads from time to time.
Expanding global reach Until recently, the company’s export activities have been centred on the EU countries, as well as North Africa and Singapore,
