Jarno has been with the transport company Kuljetusliike Ilmari Lehtonen – one of Kaukokiito’s owner-operators – for 14 years. Before joining “Lehtonen”, he spent several years abroad on international routes to countries such as Sweden and Norway.
– I can’t really see myself doing anything else! Hauling on this trunk line is more regular than my previous work. I always know my shifts in advance, which helps me plan my free time. I now drive from Sunday to Wednesday one week, and Monday to Tuesday the next. I also have a say in my own shift planning..
Life as a Kaukokiito driver
After joining Kuljetusliike Ilmari Lehtonen, Jarno first worked as a so-called float driver – driving routes wherever there was a need. That’s when he got to know Finland inside out, from Ivalo in the north to Turku in the south. Then a new HCT combination arrived at the transport company, and Jarno climbed into the cab and began his career in linehaul. For an experienced professional driver, the massive size of an HCT vehicle presents a different kind of challenge, as it requires a different level of anticipation compared with smaller vehicles.
– Before heading to a new location, I carefully go through the map of the area. When moving such a massive combination, you need to know every junction, road, bend and yard along the way to ensure you can actually fit. We also call one another to share on-the-ground information about different sites.
According to Jarno, regular routes offer a sense of security as you already know where the combination will fit, and everything goes smoothly. It can take up to five hours to load an HCT combination, but other drivers assist in this task. The long stretches on the road are spent listening to audio books and the radio and chatting on the phone. While the driver’s work on the road is independent, logistics is a team effort.
– It is all about cooperation, especially with transport planning. And the support we get, e.g. in terms of vehicle maintenance, is important. I keep the inside of the vehicle clean and wash the exterior every three weeks or so, but our fleet managers Juuso and Ripe handle the actual maintenance work. If something happens on the road, we have great service networks that we can count on.
New equipment is a pleasure to work with
The average age of Lehtonen’s linehaul trucks is less than two years, and regular maintenance keeps the equipment in good working order. We can also remotely monitor the new vehicles’ performance at the transport company.
– Once when I was on the road, Juuso called me from the Oulu terminal and said that my vehicle was currently consuming an unusual amount of AdBlue. He had seen it via remote tracking. I stopped at a service station, and it turned out that a hose had broken. They fixed it and I just kept on trucking.
According to Jarno, there are very few problems on the road. If e.g. weather or other traffic cause delays, the transport planning system can be used to resolve the issues. As a veteran professional driver Jarno appreciates new, high-quality equipment.
– We don’t have any quick fixes or makeshift repairs done to our vehicles – things are done properly and the equipment maintained as it should.
