Export Case of 10 Landscaping Vehicles to Turkey: An Integrated Solution for Expressway Median Strip Pruning

Turkey spans both Europe and Asia, with over 3,600 km of urban expressways and highways. In major metropolitan areas such as Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir, green belt maintenance has long relied on manual pruning plus truck transport. This model creates two structural conflicts: first, lane closures for pruning aggravate severe traffic congestion; second, secondary transport of branches is costly, and dust dispersion affects nearby drivers’ visibility. As Turkish municipal authorities tighten road work safety regulations (requiring rear impact protection and warning devices on service vehicles), demand for integrated landscaping vehicles has risen markedly.

The buyer is a Turkish municipal landscaping contractor responsible for median strip pruning on the İzmir–Ankara expressways (O‑32 and O‑33 sections). These routes carry about 45,000 vehicles per day with a speed limit of 110 km/h, and maintenance can only be performed during off‑peak hours (22:00–05:00). The customer’s core pain points included:

• Excessive lane occupancy time – The traditional manual + truck method required closing one lane, with stops every 2 km to clear branches, resulting in an effective operating speed below 3 km/h.

• Dust dispersion – No dust collection after chipping; fine particles drifted into oncoming lanes, generating driver complaints.

• Insufficient chassis stability – Light trucks previously used showed noticeable side‑sway when operating from the expressway shoulder, reducing cutting arm positioning accuracy.

We delivered 10 integrated landscaping vehicles modified on the Sinotruk ZZ5256XXYN504GF1 Class II chassis. Each vehicle is equipped with:

• Multi‑function intelligent pruning tool + branch chipper + dust suction fan (integrated on the same platform)

• Chassis parameters:

  • Wheelbase: 4300+1350 mm (tandem rear axle)

  • Curb weight: 22,100 kg

  • Center of gravity height: 1,680 mm (empty) / 1,780 mm (loaded)

  • Leaf spring leaves: front 11 / rear 10 (non‑independent)

  • Rear underrun protection: Q235 steel, section 120*60 mm, welded+bolted, ground clearance 480 mm

• Emission & speed limiting: China VI (GB17691-2018), optional 80 km/h or 89 km/h limiter (set to 80 km/h for this operation)

• Safety devices: Top‑mounted warning light (active only during operation), ABS/EBS (ZF Commercial Vehicle Systems 4460046300 / EBS3)

The core logic is “pruning + chipping + dust collection in a single pass", eliminating the need for a separate transport truck. No branches remain on the road after operation.

“The chassis stability of these new vehicles is significantly better than the brands we used before. Under the 80 km/h speed limit at night, the vertical offset of the pruning arm stays within ±15 mm, so we no longer need repeated repositioning. More importantly, the suction fan raises the fine‑particle collection rate to an acceptable level – following vehicles no longer flash their lights to complain."

— Customer’s On‑Site Operations Manager

The customer also noted that because the rear underrun protection meets Q235 and ground clearance requirements, the vehicle can legally operate at low speed on the expressway shoulder without applying for special lane‑closure permits. Single‑pass lane occupancy time dropped from about 22 minutes per kilometer to roughly 12 minutes (qualitative description, no exact percentage claimed).

This case validates the feasibility of integrated landscaping vehicles for expressway median strip maintenance. The following parameters directly support stability and reliability:

The first 10 vehicles have operated continuously for three months, with each accumulating over 8,000 km of service. No chassis cracks or unscheduled downtime due to chipper blockages have been reported. The customer has already initiated negotiations for a second batch of 12 units.

For markets like Turkey with dense expressway networks and high traffic pressure, landscaping vehicle selection should prioritize three hard indicators: functional integration, chassis stability, and dust control. This case demonstrates that a dedicated 25‑tonne, three‑axle chassis integrating pruning, chipping, and dust collection can efficiently maintain median strips within a night‑time window while significantly reducing traffic flow disruption.