Even the professionals at Kübler Schwertransporte don't have a transport job like this every day. They are currently moving around 500 tonnes (approx. 350 tonnes of submarine and approx. 150 tonnes of low-loader) through the Kraichgau region in northern Baden-Württemberg. Their cargo: the U 17 submarine, decommissioned by the German Navy in 2010 and now on its way to the Sinsheim Museum of Technology. The almost 50 metre long steel colossus is enthroned on a platform trailer with 30 axles, pulled by a MAN TGX 41.680 8x6. Kübler Schwertransporte is a long-standing MAN customer. ‘We rely on MAN because the reliability of the vehicles has convinced us,’ says Niclas Grimm, Project Manager at Spedition Kübler GmbH. ‘We had a MAN TGX 41.680 converted into an 8x6 for special transports like this one.’
In June, the transport set off, first from the Technikmuseum Speyer to the Rhine. There, U17 was loaded onto a river pontoon to be transported first via the Rhine to Mannheim and then via the Neckar to Haßmersheim until 9 July. From there, it will now travel by road to its destination in Sinsheim, which is due to be reached on 28 July. Kübler is responsible for the entire route.
What a marvellous moment! The roll-on of the submarine U17 onto the pontoon is complete: U17 was manoeuvred precisely and safely onto the pontoon. Picture credits: Auto - Technik - Museum e.V.
In addition to the sheer mass of the U17, its dimensions also make transporting it an adventure. Both on the water and during the journey on the road, it has to be repeatedly turned by 73 degrees - otherwise the truck with its bulky cargo would not be able to cross railway crossings or pass under various bridges. This is made possible by a turning device that was specially made for U17's last journey. Such customised solutions are nothing new for Kübler: the company from Michelfeld-Erlin is active worldwide as a logistics service provider in the heavy goods sector and is therefore very familiar with challenges of all kinds. In addition to powerful low-loaders and powerful trucks, one thing in particular is indispensable for such orders: lorry drivers with a lot of professional experience and a particularly good ability to concentrate.
Frieder Saam is one of them. He is at the wheel of the MAN TGX 41.680 8x6 and is chauffeuring U17 towards Sinsheim. ‘I've been driving heavy goods vehicles for many years,’ he says. ‘And it's still always something special, because no two jobs are the same. It also makes me proud to be able to drive such large transports.’ Preparations start long before the freight sets off for the first time: Possible routes are explored, arrangements are made with the authorities and police. Every tour is customised. In the case of the U17 transport, planning began a good five years ago. A total of 2-3 people were involved at Kübler - including driver Saam from the very beginning.
Once the transport has set off, maximum concentration is required. The entire transport is a delicate endeavour. The team manoeuvres the 90 metre long and 10 metre high heavy transport not only under deep bridges, but also through the narrowest streets of the picturesque Kraichgau region. One of the trickiest moments is turning the boat several times on the pontoon. Until now, turning has only been done on land. On the water, the crew not only has to keep the boat balanced, but also the pontoon. A particular challenge is sailing off the pontoon in Haßmersheim when U17 goes ashore. Here, too, the pontoon has to be constantly rebalanced to compensate for the changing load.
“We can only master a transport like this as a team,’ says Niclas Grimm, Project Manager at Spedition Kübler GmbH. ‘As we have been in business for many years, our employees have been able to gain experience with all kinds of challenges all over the world. Of course, we are now benefiting from this - and we are also extremely proud that the Sinsheim Museum of Technology has entrusted us with this complex project.”
