High-capacity trucks: Vähäla Logistics uses trucks of up to 76 tonnes

Vehicle & Technology

Ice cold!

The Finns at Vähälä Logistics make efficiency a top priority, which means that reliability is an absolute must. With the new Actros, they get both. Especially when the Actros functions as the tractor unit in the extra long high-capacity trucks that have been permitted to operate in this northern European country since 2019.


There are days during winter when Ville Vähälä’s drivers set out from the port of Hanko in southern Finland at temperatures of four degrees Celsius – and arrive in the provincial capital Rovaniemi, some 900 kilometres further north, in the evening at temperatures of minus 40 degrees. “For the truck this presents a real challenge,” says the transport entrepreneur. To give an example: tyre pressure decreases as the outside temperature drops and needs to be adjusted repeatedly. That’s if the tyres are filled with air. “This is why we use nitrogen instead. It costs a few euros extra, but it ensures that the tyre pressure remains constant.” Special challenges call for efficient solutions – something Vähälä Logistics specialises in.

42-year-old Ville Vähälä is the third generation of his family to run their company Vahala Logistics. His fleet consists of 65 company-owned trucks, with two thirds of them bearing the star. “We also rely on subcontractors, so we have about 200 trucks in total working for us.” The freight they carry is quite diverse: pulp for paper production, medical products and also groceries for supermarkets. One of the mainstays of their business is the haulage of general cargo on behalf of DB Schenker. Vähälä acts as the national network partner for the German logistics giant.



“In terms of fuel efficiency, Mercedes‑Benz has attained a whole new level with the new Actros.”

– Ville Vähälä, CEO Vähälä Logistics


A population of only 5.5 million.

Finland’s transport market demands a great deal from its players – and not just because of the often extreme temperatures. For example, the country is almost the size of Germany, but its population is only 5.5 million, and most of them live in the southern and western parts of the country. Yet goods still need to be transported to the most remote regions on a regular basis.

A transport operator wanting to do business efficiently needs to be well positioned in strategic terms, for example by operating terminals that can handle shipments as part of round trips. Vähälä does have such a hub at the company’s corporate headquarters in Oulu in northern Finland. They have another, at Jyväskylä, some 270 kilometres north of Helsinki.

Since last year, Finland’s transporters have had a very special means to boost efficiency at their disposal: trucks up to 34.50 metres long with a gross vehicle weight of 76 tonnes, so-called high-capacity trucks, that can now operate without the need for the special permit that had been required previously. Higher payload means fewer trips, and hence greater efficiency – with the added benefit of a reduced impact on the environment. It goes without saying that Ville Vähälä took this offer up immediately: with a new rig consisting of a new Actros 2663 and two trailers.


Vast distances, bitterly cold weather: Finnish transport companies operate under fierce conditions, and that calls for smart solutions. Vähälä Logistics found one such solution in the form of the new Actros.
Vast distances, bitterly cold weather: Finnish transport companies operate under fierce conditions, and that calls for smart solutions. Vähälä Logistics found one such solution in the form of the new Actros.
Vast distances, bitterly cold weather: Finnish transport companies operate under fierce conditions, and that calls for smart solutions. Vähälä Logistics found one such solution in the form of the new Actros.
Vast distances, bitterly cold weather: Finnish transport companies operate under fierce conditions, and that calls for smart solutions. Vähälä Logistics found one such solution in the form of the new Actros.
High level of operating comfort and convenience: Multimedia Cockpit provides the drivers with a wealth of options, yet it is easy to use with its clear and uncluttered layout.
High level of operating comfort and convenience: Multimedia Cockpit provides the drivers with a wealth of options, yet it is easy to use with its clear and uncluttered layout.

The new longhaul flagship from Mercedes‑Benz is perfect for use as a tractor unit for these extra long rigs in Finland. This is because for these long rigs, Finnish law requires the use of a digital camera system – the kind that comes as standard equipment on board the new Actros: MirrorCam replaces the conventional externally-mounted main and wide-angle mirrors with display monitors on the A pillars, right in the driver’s field of vision. When cornering and driving around bends, the image captured by the cameras pans along all the time. This is something every truck driver would find helpful, of course, but it is especially appreciated by the drivers manoeuvring these extra long rigs – not least in the gloomy conditions encountered on winter days in Finland.

“We are happy with every single aspect of the new Actros,” says Ville Vähälä. He was one of the first entrepreneurs in Europe to operate this truck in a customer trial, and he has since made it a fixture of his fleet. In addition to MirrorCam, the entrepreneur was also persuaded by the other innovations on board the truck. One of these is the new Active Drive Assist system, which supports the driver when decelerating, accelerating and steering the truck – across all speed ranges.


Everything under control: Driver Elias Salonen (r.), a nephew of CEO Ville Vähälä, immediately took to the new Actros configured as an overlength truck.
Everything under control: Driver Elias Salonen (r.), a nephew of CEO Ville Vähälä, immediately took to the new Actros configured as an overlength truck.

And Active Brake Assist 5, the latest generation of the emergency braking assist system. The new Actros also comes with an enhanced version of Predictive Powertrain Control, the intelligent cruise control and transmission control system. With the expanded map information, it is now also suitable for use on overland journeys, a real plus on trips through Finland’s sparsely populated regions. Last but not least, there is the new Multimedia Cockpit with its two digital monitors – a system that provides the driver with unrivalled convenience in terms of operation and constantly updated information displayed.

Adverse weather conditions, high mileage.

As well as making the driver’s job easier, Predictive Powertrain Control also boosts fuel efficiency – a subject that ranks very highly on Ville Vähälä’s agenda. “In this respect, Mercedes‑Benz has attained a whole new level in the new Actros.” Other factors contributing to the greater fuel efficiency are the economical Euro VI engine, the finely tuned powertrain configurations and the further optimisation of the truck’s aerodynamics, not least thanks to the absence of exterior mirrors. Together, the 65 trucks owned by Vähälä clock up a total of eight to nine million kilometres each year, which means the lower fuel consumption has a marked impact on diesel expenditure.



Enormous mileage in often adverse weather conditions, and customers who will not tolerate downtime: it is a combination that calls for maximum reliability. Ever since he bought his first Actros in 2006, his experience with Mercedes-Benz had been very positive, says Vähälä. “We can run the trucks for up to 150 000 kilometres between servicing at the workshop, and that is quite exceptional.”

The new Actros further adds to these benefits. It is ahead of the competition in terms of its particularly durable, robust design, with axle, frame, chassis, suspension and brake components all manufactured to stand up to tough operational conditions. Should assistance ever be needed, users will benefit from an extensive network of mechanical workshops, good availability of original parts, and a comprehensive range of truck-related services.


“All our trucks are covered by service agreements and come with Mercedes‑Benz Uptime,” says Ville Vähälä. “We no longer have our own workshop these days. You need to decide: what is it we are really good at, and what can others do better than we can ourselves?”

For this entrepreneur, the answer is obvious. His decision allows him to be totally focused on running his business. Moreover, it gives him the necessary freedom to tackle the issue of efficiency even more resolutely – by making his operation more energy-efficient throughout. “At our terminal in Jyväskylä, we have Finland’s biggest geothermal heating installation of its kind, where we also exploit the waste heat from the refrigerated section of the building,” explains Ville Vähälä. Added to that is LED lighting throughout the entire terminal.

Another project currently in progress targets the vehicles themselves, for example with the use of nitrogen to inflate the tyres. “We have to heat most of our trailers in winter, and then keep them cool during the summer. Until now we have always done it using diesel generators,” says the entrepreneur. “We have now started a trial where we use generators mounted on the trailer axles to recoup the energy released during braking and store it in batteries.”

Are there other innovations that can make Vähälä Logistics even more efficient? Well, why not?


Photos: Christoph Börries

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