The Knepper-Gruppe has been responsible for waste disposal in Lippstadt in the heart of Westphalia for decades. Employing skip loaders, hooklifts and tipping semi-trailers from MEILLER, practically the entire product range of the Munich enterprise is involved in this success.
Anybody walking across the Knepper-Gruppe depot needs to be attentive, as vehicles of different sizes with every conceivable superstructure are busily heading towards their assigned dumping points. Skip loaders and hooklifts move over the site with trailers, four-axle vehicles with hooklifts, roll-off containers and semi-trailers, exiting the yard again shortly after unloading to head to the recycling facility. Knepper trucks have one thing in common, as they are almost all fitted with equipment from MEILLER – and there is a good reason for this.
The recycling enterprise has dedicated itself to the professional disposal of every kind of waste material for over 70 years.
This ranges from bulky waste taken from private households to scrap from the metal processing industry or industrial dismantling projects and rubble from supra-regional demolition sites. These difficult assignments require reliable and durable technology, and Knepper has found an ideal supplier in MEILLER.
Managing Director Carsten Knepper, who represents the third generation to head the family enterprise, collected the first MEILLER vehicle directly from the Munich plant of the manufacturer a quarter of a century ago. The second-hand MAN vehicle with an AK12 skip loader was immediately welcomed in Lippstadt, being soon followed by the first RK 20.70 hooklift, a new vehicle from that strengthened the fleet. Since then, the Knepper fleet has grown to include a total of 7 skip loaders, 15 hooklifts, 14 trailers, 10 semi-trailer tractors and 15 semi-trailers. The fleet also encompasses box trucks with a lifting platform, overhead loaders, sweepers and heavy low-loaders.
MEILLER superstructures of every design are in use at Knepper
With containers with a capacity of 7 to 20 m3, the skip loaders are in the main regionally active, covering the shortest distances. Frequent container changes are part of the daily agenda, and the i.s.a.r-control 3 radio remote control system has demonstrated its value here. The hooklifts transport RoRo skip presses to and from customers or carry containers with a capacity of up to 40 m3 for demolition waste, rubble or scrap.
Also equipped with the convenient remote control system, these “bread and butter” vehicles can tackle almost every assignment and are active regionally, supra-regionally and for long-distance assignments. Construction site semi-trailers, on the other hand, are more frequently encountered locally. Two dozen skip loaders and hooklifts and eight tipping semi-trailers from MEILLER cover an area of activity that ranges from the Dutch frontier to Kassel and Hanover, servicing Lippstadt, Soest and Warstein and even reaching as far as Hamburg. 25,000 to 120,000 km are therefore covered in a year, depending on the vehicle and assignment involved.
“Our core business rests on five pillars: demolition and dismantling, recycling, scrap and non-ferrous metals, earthworks and logistics for our own areas and, also, external customers. In addition to trucks ranging from twelve-tonne vehicles to eleven-axle heavy transporters designed for a load of up to 74 tonnes, we also have a variety of mini and demolition diggers weighing up to 55 tonnes and both stationary and mobile crushing plants for this purpose”, says Peter Adams, Head of Logistics at Knepper and the man responsible for the entire fleet. A qualified forwarding agent, he studied logistics and business administration in Bremen and is very familiar with the disposal industry. The 37-year-old has been working at Knepper for almost three years. 2022 saw him faced with a truly mammoth project, as Knepper demolished the Ford works in Wülfrath (with an area of 90,000 m2) in record time and was commissioned with the recycling of several thousand tonnes of material. A task of similar complexity was addressed in 2023 with the demolition of an old cement plant south of Lippstadt in Erwitte. Demolition of the main stand in the stadium of Darmstadt 98, the Federal League (Bundesliga) football team, was also challenging from a logistical point of view.
Eight MEILLER tipping semi-trailers were involved in disposal work in all these projects, all of which had been sold to the recycling enterprise by Andreas Otto. Sales representative Otto has been with MEILLER for 26 years and looked after Knepper from the outset. He knows the company like the back of his own hand. He knows exactly what tipping semi-trailers, hooklifts and skip loaders need to be capable of in heavy demolition operations, and he can provide robust technology for these purposes. He also provides advice on appropriate additional equipment and makes practical recommendations for or against a purchasing decision. This is highly appreciated, as it cements a long-term, trustworthy and honest relationship between both firms.
Knepper adopts a three-pronged approach when it comes to maintaining technology
“We also use all the superstructures manufactured by MEILLER”, admits Egbert Nettebrock, Head of Maintenance at Knepper. In common with company drivers, he values the enormous strength, user-friendliness and safety of the superstructures. Added to this is a large selection of special equipment from MEILLER that covers every conceivable need. After all, the equipment used by Knepper has always exceeded that expected of standard kit. Knepper adopts a three-pronged approach when it comes to maintaining technology. Conventional repairs are undertaken in the company’s workshop. More specialised maintenance is entrusted to MEILLER’s regional service partners. In addition, the company takes advantage of ex works preventive servicing twice a year and profits from the all-round package provided by the Munich superstructure manufacturer.
Service technician Ralf Koböken heads north for this purpose in his MEILLER mobile service vehicle and subjects the Knepper vehicles in Lippstadt to a thorough inspection. He analyses the overall condition of the fleet, replaces wear parts and provides support during inspections prescribed by law. Koböken simultaneously provides recommendations for sensible vehicle replacements and trains the local Knepper workshop team. This means that, ultimately, no superstructure remains inoperable for any length of time.
The operating time of Knepper vehicles differs as much as their assignments
Short-distance travel sees the trucks covering low mileage, but superstructure activities are high. The reverse is true for long-distance assignments, with extensive mileage being covered but less work for the superstructure. Knepper strives to attain at least ten years of use from MEILLER trucks. However, some of them have already been in service for 15 to 20 years, and this underscores the resilience of the vehicles. They frequently serve Knepper as replacement trucks now, compensating for downtimes during maintenance and servicing of newer vehicles and covering peak activity periods. Knepper replaces the veterans if repairs become too expensive. An average of three new vehicles with a MEILLER superstructure are added each year to ensure the replacement and growth of the fleet.
The growth of the fleet also increases the need for well-trained drivers at Knepper. The company, which currently has around 260 employees, now trains professional drivers itself to close this gap. Without this initiative, Knepper would have difficulty growing in the long term and keeping its extensive vehicle fleet running.