AUSA’s dumpers work well in applications like landscaping, smaller earthmoving jobs and projects involving concrete.
(Photo courtesy of AUSA.)
Over the past 61 years, Barcelona, Spain-based AUSA has proven itself to be a manufacturer of unique and inventive construction equipment — first in Europe and, since 2015, in the United States.
AUSA makes compact industrial vehicles noted for their maneuverability, versatility and range of uses. Its three product lines include rough-terrain forklifts, telehandlers and dumpers, the latter of which is the company's most popular offering.
When AUSA brought its equipment to the United States seven years ago, dumpers were a little-known commodity among American contractors. What distinguishes them from much larger dump trucks are their compact builds and unique design, characterized by a load skip placed in front of the operator — in contrast to dump truck cabs mounted in front of the load.
AUSA's line of 17 different dumpers — all open, four-wheeled vehicles — includes the newly launched D151AEG electric model, unveiled by the manufacturer in October at the bauma construction and mining machinery trade show in Munich, Germany.
The new D151AEG has a 3,300-lb. payload and is designed for working in small spaces where good maneuverability is most needed. In addition, the machine sports a battery capacity of up to 12 kilowatt hours, giving it an operating range of at least one typical working day for a vehicle in its category. The model's battery charges from 20 to 80 percent in just two hours when doing so at 230 volts.
Although an exact date for the rollout of the electric machines has yet to be decided, Ignasi Moner, the chief executive officer of AUSA US Corp., headquartered near Charleston, S.C., said the vehicle maker hopes to have the new electric dumpers in American dealership showrooms in 2024.
AUSA Dumpers Enjoy Steady Growth
In the meantime, AUSA's current lineup of products continues to be more popular in the United States, with the versatile and simple to use dumpers leading the way.
Moner said that AUSA's dumpers can be seen working at a variety of different job sites, primarily construction sites where they move dirt, rock and concrete, but they are used on landscaping and demolition projects, too. Often, contractors have them zipping around a single project where they prove to be handy performing all these tasks.
Golf course builders and landscapers also like AUSA's dumpers, he said.
"This market has always been open to seeing new machines and a new way of doing things more easily," Moner said. "But because contractors traditionally used dump trucks, there was not a dumper presence in this country for a long time. Most customers did not even know they existed and if they did, they had to import them from Europe."
Following AUSA's entrance in the U.S. equipment marketplace, though, company representatives took the time to speak with potential customers about their dumper lines, he added. That included educating construction, golf course landscaping and concrete professionals about what AUSA's dumpers could do, with the result being more projects around the country are utilizing the machines.
"Now, we have the widest range of dumper sizes in the market, meaning AUSA has a solution for every size job," he said.
Dumpers Combine Great Features With Value
Besides size and engineering, another difference between AUSA's dumpers and comparable products, Moner said, "is that we offer a broad range of models, from our 2,220-lb. D100AHA hydrostatic dumper, with less than a cubic yard of capacity, up to AUSA's DR1001AHG, a 22,000-lb. machine that can carry 5.25 cubic yards of material."
As a bonus, the DR1001AHG and the DR601AHG, the latter of which has a 13,200-lb. load capacity, are not only versatile, but reversible as well.
"They both have the 180-degree swing driving position feature where the driver position swivels, allowing them to face the back end, and thus always drive forwards," he said. "That feature saves time for the operator and increases his visibility and safety."
When the seat rotates on the larger DR1001AHG, for example, all components on the machine — steering wheel, joystick, pedals, safety cameras — instantly adjust to suit the driver's new position. The driver also can comfortably and safely get on and off either side of the dumper, increasing the speed and flexibility of the model's use.
"We are a key player in Europe within the dumper market, and we brought leading-edge ideas and concepts to this market, but I also believe AUSA offers the right products at the price the customer wants to pay," Moner said. "For them, our products offer excellent value, and that includes the dedicated service they receive from the AUSA team and our network of dealers."
For more information, visit www.ausa.com. CEG
Eric Olson
A writer and contributing editor for CEG since 2008, Eric Olson has worked in the business for more than 40 years.
Olson grew up in the small town of Lenoir, NC in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where he began covering sports for the local newspaper at age 18. He continued to do that for several other dailies in the area while in college at Appalachian State University. Following his graduation, he moved on to gain experience at two other publications before becoming a real estate and special features writer and editor at the Winston-Salem Journal for 10 years. Since 1999 he has worked as a corporate media liaison and freelance writer, in addition to his time at CEG.
He and his wife, Tara, have been married for 33 years and are the parents of two grown and successful daughters. His hobbies include collecting history books, watching his beloved Green Bay Packers and caring for his three dogs and one cat.
Read more from Eric Olson here.
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