New Operation Finds A Fresh Approach To Log-Loading With SENNEBOGEN

Hampton, TN – Front Royal Transload is one of the “new kids” on the block, working to make the Hampton Tennessee yard a vital hub for intermodal transport. However, with tens of thousands of containers going through the Hampton Tennessee yard every year and much of its volume coming from the logging trade, Director of Operations Randy Langford understands the log-handling business well enough to know that traditional loaders wouldn’t do the job for him.

“Sometimes you get a lot of piles going in the yard and you start cramping your space,” Langford explains. “Knuckleboom loaders are pretty lengthy machines; they can’t get in and out of those tight spaces.”

For a solution, Langford turned to the SENNEBOGEN 818 M log loader – a rubber-tired purpose-built material handler that is quickly becoming a common sight in American wood yards and mills.

Part of the Oregon-based ARG Transportation Services group, Front Royal Transload specializes in moving hardwood logs from trucks into international shipping containers. Langford recently decided to equip the yard with SENNEBOGEN 818s.

“We need mobility”

Langford’s search for a fresh approach to log-loading began with Matt McQueen of Power Equipment, the region’s authorized SENNEBOGEN dealer. Langford had already looked at the industry’s best-known log loaders, but he continued looking. “All the other machines we looked at were stationary and that’s just not what we need. You have to mount them on some kind of carrier like the 6×6 unit that we had. We need mobility in confined spaces; that was primary for us.”

He and McQueen drove to SENNEBOGEN’s head office facility near Charlotte, NC. “We tested out one of the machines there; took one look and determined that this was the machine that we needed for our particular situation. It’s the ideal carrier for us because it’s compact and it’s quick.”

Langford notes that the machine’s agility is helpful for more than just running between aisles in the yard. “With the other loaders, all you can do is pull up beside the pile. With the SENNEBOGEN, you can pull up to it, you can nose into it, you can back into it, and you have the room to do that. So it gives you more versatility and stability.”

“See what you’re picking”

SENNEBOGEN machines are known for their maXCab operator stations, which, on the 818, hydraulically elevates above the deck to heights of over 15 ft. (4.5 m). “You basically get on top of the loads as you’re loading and unloading trucks. You can actually see what you’re picking,” says Langford. “If you take another type loader up to a truck that’s loaded up high in the bunks, you have to unload from the machine side only… you can’t see what’s on the other side. With the SENNEBOGEN, you can pick and choose because you can see the top of the entire load.”

“Cycle times are quicker”

Operators had a little adjusting to do when the 818s arrived. According to Langford, “The response times are about the quickest I’ve ever run, and I’ve run just about everything! Most of the other equipment has a much slower function to it. With the SENNEBOGENs, cycle times are quicker; I like it. You just have to get a feel for her.”

“The simpler, the better”

With the SENNEBOGEN 818s now on the job, Langford looks forward to seeing the new operation run both productively and profitably. “These machines are very economical to run. There’s no onboard computer, and that’s another cost saver; if the computer goes down it gets expensive. They don’t have a lot of fancy bells & whistles on them; the simpler, the better for me.”

For Front Royal and ARG Transportation, that’s a simple formula for success.

About SENNEBOGEN

SENNEBOGEN has been a leading name in the global material handling industry for over 65 years. Based in Stanley, North Carolina, within the greater Charlotte region, SENNEBOGEN LLC offers a complete range of purpose-built machines to suit virtually any material handling application. Established in America in the year 2000, SENNEBOGEN LLC has quickly become a leading provider of specialized equipment solutions for recycling and scrap metal yards, demolition, barge and port operations, log-handling, transfer stations, waste facilities and the tree care industry from coast to coast. A growing network of distributors supports SENNEBOGEN LLC sales and service across the Americas, ensuring the highest standard of professional machine support and parts availability.

For more information on the full line of SENNEBOGEN green line material handlers, contact:

SENNEBOGEN LLC
1957 Sennebogen Trail
Stanley, NC 28164
Tel: (704) 347-4910 or fax (704) 347-8894
E-mail: sales@sennebogenllc.com

 

 

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