The best part of logging transport is tricky forest roads

35-year-old Marko Kivelä started his logging transport business in 2003. He was in his early twenties then and wasn’t afraid of taking the plunge. Many new business owners in the sector have truck driving in their blood, but Kivelä’s father drove a slightly smaller vehicle, i.e. a taxi.
“Nonetheless, I was determined to become a logging truck driver. Maybe I’m a little crazy, but I enjoy transporting logs,” he laughs.

The leap into the logging transport business paid off and his business has grown over the years. Now Kivelä’s transport business has three logging truck combinations and five men on the payroll, in addition to Marko himself. The company is known as Kuljetus M. Kivelä, and its trucks mainly carry timber all over the Päijät-Häme region for UPM and Versowood.

For Kivelä, the best part of the job is fetching timber from the forest. He finds it particularly rewarding to drive from tricky forest roads back to the main road.
“The most challenging part of the business is planning your finances. I have often talked about this with my older colleagues. It’s particularly important to make cost calculations and cost price plans and consider the economic efficiency of the business,” Kivelä says.

Of course, the truck’s equipment influences its productivity, which is why last summer Kivelä decided to equip his newest truck with Alucar’s superstructure.
“I had heard about Alucar products and seen them as well, but we have always used other brands on our trucks. I have had the Alucar superstructure for a year now and I’m extremely happy with it. I’m particularly satisfied with the quality of the finish. Also, it has been very durable so far,” Kivelä says.

This new customer believes that his cooperation with Alucar will continue if everything goes as smoothly as it has so far. The next truck will be easier to fit out because of the images that Alucar now has of one of his trucks.
“If I decide to build another similar truck I can make the chassis and they will know how to do the rest. Or if I want to make any changes I can just let Alucar know and they will change the images,” Kivelä adds with a contented smile.