Stara Construction Service, City of Helsink

The City of Helsinki’s construction service Stara needed new flatbed trucks that could be driven with a Class B commercial driver’s license. The City’s park and street maintenance crews needed to be able to move and lift objects of different shapes, sizes, and weights. And for loading objects by hand, Stara needed trailers with the lowest loading height possible. For handling heavier and larger objects, Piako outfitted trucks with loader cranes. Safety was obviously also a top priority as crews did much of their work in busy roadways.

A lot of thinking went into this truck

After an initial survey and planning, Piako delivered detailed specs and illustrations of the requested vehicles and loaders which helped Stara get feedback for its end users. With this vital feedback from Stara, Piako was able to make the small yet necessary modifications that satisfied the crews who would be working with the equipment daily.

Piako’s solution was to design a strong, low-structured crane bed on top of a sturdy van chassis. Innovative binding openings were built for the bed, and they worked with the safety railing also designed by Piako. This offered Stara crews additional safety by allowing them to swap out traffic signs from the van’s bed platform as opposed to in the busy roadway. Built into the structure of the bed were designated storage slots for traffic signs, ladders, and other tools and equipment. And with the Palfinger PC1500 crane, workers now had the ability to handle and transport heavy concrete roadblocks.

A capable and cost-effective solution

Upon delivery of the vehicles, Piako provided comprehensive training for Stara workers. Easy-to-understand manuals with specs and illustrations were also provided, and will come in handy as Stara will perform a lot of their own maintenance. Providing Stara with precise and thorough documentation will help them gain quick and easy access to replacement parts in the years ahead. In the end, Piako proved to be the smartest, safest, most durable, and most cost-effective solution for Stara’s unique needs.