The Koch GmbH & Co. KG Kieswerke und Transporte from Metzingen near Stuttgart specializes in heavy and special transports. The family-owned company with currently around 70 employees operates two gravel works and transports, for example, prefabricated garages, concrete components and heavy construction machinery – often with a total vehicle weight of over 100 tons. For the transport of oversized garages, for the past 13 years several 3-axle semi-trailers from Doll have been used.
Complete refurbishment
With one of the trailers now – after a mileage of over 400,000 kilometers – several repairs became unavoidable: “New air tanks, air bellows, axle suspensions – at a certain age, certain wear parts naturally appear on the list and one must ask at what point a new purchase is more
worthwhile,” says Robert Metzger, fleet manager at Koch.
It was not a question of scrapping the actually well-preserved vehicle, but further repairs would have been uneconomical in the long run. For this reason, they opted for a complete refurbishment at Doll.
As a reason for the refurbishment, the provider of special transports cites a cost saving of more than 50 percent compared to a new purchase.
„It is also not our mentality to simply dispose of a reliable vehicle,“ Metzger explains. “We work with natural raw materials and let the green spaces around our gravel works be grazed by donkeys. Sustainability is part of our philosophy. Refurbishment was the logical choice.“
From old to (almost) new
Prerequisite for refurbishment is a good basic condition of the
vehicle. The aforementioned semi-trailer was fundamentally overhauled: a new braking system and air suspension were installed, all wear parts replaced, electricals, control and lighting renewed, the frame completely refurbished, sand-blasted, hot-dip galvanized and repainted.
According to Metzger, the result is “astonishingly close” to a new vehicle: “If you know it, you can tell that the paint is a little rougher due to sandblasting. That’s all. And technically we now have at least ten years of peace of mind.”
The Koch company had already had a 3-axle semi-trailer overhauled by Doll three years ago; in winter 2025, another 13-year-old Doll trailer will be sent for refurbishment.
Demand rising
Doll has been offering refurbishment for more than ten years. “Refurbishment has long been a fixed part of our
service offering,” says Markus Huber, Sales Service Workshop. “In view of rising costs and growing sustainability awareness, demand has risen enormously in recent years.”
Almost all heavy-duty vehicles older than six years would be eligible for refurbishment – even vehicles from other manufacturers could be sent to Doll for refurbishment.
Service offerings
In addition to a new vehicle, customers should also be able to request refurbishment of their existing vehicle from the vehicle manufacturer. The service department will then assess each vehicle individually and prepare a concrete offer for the refurbishment.
Also for refurbished vehicles, the Doll service includes repair and maintenance, spare parts and technical support throughout the entire lifecycle. Currently the company in Europe has more than 130 service partners, according to the information.
