Strong helpers at the European Championships

When, on 14 June, the football is kicked off again on the pitches in Germany and almost 2.7 million visitors from all over Europe come to watch and to celebrate, weeks of preparation will have gone into this major event. Such events are also a logistical challenge, as the organisers are responsible for equipping the stadiums for the duration of the tournament. From lighting technology to stage scaffolding and catering - a lot of material has to be delivered and set up. Our customer VPT GmbH, who is operating in all ten European Championship stadiums, rely on the support of STILL rental trucks.

"From our rental fleet of around 8,000 trucks in Germany, a total of around 80 electric forklift trucks with load capacities 2 and 3.5 tonnes are in use at the venues," says Frederik Daniel, Key Account Manager Rental at STILL. According to the customer VPT GmbH, which is responsible for the event technology, around 20,000 kilograms of steel scaffolding will be delivered to each stadium alone - a total of around 40 truck deliveries across all locations, which will have to be unloaded and transported to the arenas.

"Our trucks have to be able to handle a lot," says Daniel. Another requirement, in addition to the heavy loads, is a lift height of at least four to more than five metres, says the expert. At the same time, it's not just big and strong that's needed in a football stadium, but also small and manoeuvrable. "For some applications, the forklift trucks are also used in catacombs or underground car parks, where the overall height must not exceed two metres," explains Daniel: "But we also have the right equipment for this."

The time factor

From the last Bundesliga match to the first European Championship match, the contractors have only around four weeks to set up the stadium. Not much time given the scale of the event. "Availability and speed of delivery are important to every customer, but in the events sector, time is absolutely critical as deadlines are clear and cannot be postponed," says Daniel. This is why a full service is available for all STILL rental vehicles. In addition to punctual delivery and collection, this also includes repair or replacement within 24 hours in the event of a defect.

Another criterion for the customer in this project was the nationwide presence of the rental fleet combined with a central contact person. "For this event, the customer is looking after a total of ten venues throughout Germany. It is therefore a clear advantage for STILL, with a total of 35 locations throughout Germany, to be able to cover such events nationwide and with the shortest possible transport routes," says Daniel.

And while the new European champions are still celebrating their victory after the final on 14 July, the strong helpers from STILL will already be dismantling the structures of this great football summer in Germany.

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