"We opted for the EcoDuo combination because our standard route in Finland is around 600 kilometers with just one unloading point. On the outward journey, we deliver various machine parts for the automotive industry; on the return journey, we load wood. For this we need a flexible vehicle combination with a large loading volume," says owner Philipp Reich, "our customers are also enthusiastic about this concept.

The vehicles are each equipped with an underfloor coupling at the rear to accommodate the dolly. The robust chassis has an offset wheelbase in conjunction with a Schmitz Cargobull steering axle and 385/55 R 22.5 Schmitz Cargobull tires. The Power Curtain offers a battenless body and is fitted with an anti-theft tarpaulin mesh as standard.

In Germany, two tractor units bring the trailers to the ferry. Once the ferry arrives in Finland, the two trailers are then coupled together using a dolly and the combination - pulled by just one tractor unit - is taken onto the road. The total towing weight of the tractor unit and the first trailer is still 40 tons, while the towing weight of the second trailer can be up to 36 tons in order to comply with Scandinavian regulations.

"So far, we have been able to deliver around 100 combinations of the vehicle concept to Scandinavia and Spain," reports Andreas Schmitz, CEO of Schmitz Cargobull AG, who is proactively driving the concept forward. "In the long term, we see the EcoDuo as an ecologically and economically efficient transport solution on suitable main routes throughout Europe."

A uniform legal basis and an appropriately designated infrastructure are the basic prerequisites for a transnational, pan-European solution. Furthermore, it must also be possible to decouple the vehicles at the defined transport routes and distribute them between two tractor units.

"Depending on the feasibility of the requirements, I can very well imagine using this vehicle combination for designated routes, especially in Germany. It also makes sense from an ecological point of view," says Philipp Reich, "because we can dispense with the use of a tractor unit on some routes. Another major advantage of the EcoDuo combination compared to the long truck is that I can use standard tractor units and trailers, which I can also use elsewhere in my normal day-to-day business.