Trucks for Sale in Kazakhstan: Heavy 6x6 and 8x8 Push-Pull Tractor Units for Mining Machinery Transport
Looking for heavy haulage units capable of moving mining machinery across Kazakhstan? You might relocate an excavator or a crusher module between pits at a copper operation, bring a dragline component to a coal mine in the Ekibastuz basin, or move drill rigs and plant across hundreds of kilometres of steppe to a site with no rail connection. In each case, Schaften Automotive is your European partner for heavy transport vehicles and complete fleet solutions. From our headquarters in the Netherlands, we supply 6x6 and 8x8 tractor units from Mercedes-Benz, MAN, IVECO and other leading European brands, configured for push-pull operation and matched to your trailer and your route. We arrange everything from A to Z.
More Than a Supplier: Your Sparring Partner from A to Z
Heavy haulage in Kazakhstan is a different discipline from heavy haulage in Europe. The distances are enormous, the road network between mine sites thins out quickly, and once you leave the paved corridors you are on steppe tracks, mine roads and temporary crossings. The climate is brutal in both directions: winters in the north and centre fall far below minus thirty, with wind, drifting snow and frozen ground, while summers reach the other extreme with heat and abrasive dust. A heavy move that would take a day in Western Europe can take a week here, with no workshop within reach if something goes wrong.
Then there is the load itself. Mining machinery is heavy, tall, wide and often badly balanced. Moving it is not a question of gross combination weight on paper, it is a question of what your combination can actually do on a ten percent grade with a soft shoulder and a cross wind.
That is why we don’t start from a catalogue. We start by understanding the job: what you move, how heavy and how often, the trailers you already own, the routes and gradients between your sites, the ground conditions in each season, and the recovery and support you have available. Based on that, we advise you on configuration, ballast, coupling, gearing, traction and winter preparation. Once you have decided, we take care of the rest: preparation, documentation, certification support and delivery. You have one point of contact for the entire process.
Push-Pull Operation: Why It Changes What You Can Move
On a heavy move, a single tractor is limited by what it can put down through its driven axles. A push-pull combination uses a second heavy unit at the rear of the trailer, pushing while the lead unit pulls. That changes the arithmetic in several ways:
- Gradeability. You add traction and tractive effort without adding length at the front, which is what gets a very heavy load up a mine haul road or a steppe incline.
- Control on descents. The rear unit provides braking and restraint, so the load is held rather than pushing the lead tractor downhill.
- Traction on poor surfaces. Two powered units spread the drive across more axles, which matters on soft shoulders, gravel, mud and snow.
- Manoeuvring. The rear unit can steer the back of the combination in tight situations and on mine sites, and can push the combination back out when forward progress stops.
- Redundancy. On a remote move, having a second heavy unit in the convoy is also your recovery vehicle.
For this to work, both units have to be specified for it. That means the right coupling arrangement front and rear, matched braking, compatible gearing and crews who are trained to work the combination. We go through all of that with you.
Heavy 6x6 and 8x8 Tractor Units
Why All-Wheel Drive
In Kazakhstan, a heavy move rarely stays on good tarmac for the whole journey. A 6x6 drives all three axles and an 8x8 all four, which is what keeps a heavy combination moving on a mine road, on a frozen or thawing track, or on a temporary diversion. Four driven axles also spread the weight, which helps on soft ground and reduces road damage on routes you will have to use again.
How We Specify the Unit
- Engine power and torque matched to your real combination weights and the steepest gradient you have to climb loaded, not to a nominal figure.
- Axle ratios and crawler gearing for starting a very heavy load from standstill on a slope.
- Ballast and weight distribution so the drive axles carry enough load to put the power down.
- Coupling arrangement front and rear for push-pull work, with the right ballast body, fifth wheel or drawbar setup for your trailers.
- Braking with a retarder or strong engine brake, specified for a combination weight far above a standard truck.
- Differential locks and tyre choice for gravel, mud, sand and snow.
- Reinforced frame, towing and recovery equipment, because on a remote move you are your own recovery service.
- Winter preparation including engine and fuel heaters, a parking heater for the cab, cold-rated fluids, battery capacity and insulation for genuine low temperature work.
We supply 6x6 and 8x8 units such as the Mercedes-Benz Arocs and Zetros, the MAN TGS and the IVECO T-Way, configured for the move rather than sold off a shelf.
The Rest of the Heavy Transport and Mining Fleet
A heavy move is never just the tractors. Through the same point of contact we can also arrange:
- ballast tractors and conventional heavy haulage units for road-biased moves;
- crane trucks for loading, rigging and assembly at each end of the move;
- mobile workshops with crane, generator, compressor and parts storage, so the convoy carries its own support;
- fuel, lube and water tankers for the convoy and for the sites it serves;
- 8x4 tippers and construction vehicles for haul road building and maintenance along the route;
- crew transport and escort vehicles for the convoy;
- service and recovery units for remote operations.
Because we deliver everything through one point of contact, you can put together a complete heavy transport operation rather than a set of separate purchases.
Specified for Kazakh Conditions
We adapt the vehicles to where they will actually work:
- extreme cold: cold-start systems, heated fuel and hydraulic circuits, cab heating, battery capacity and materials that stay serviceable at low temperature;
- extreme heat and dust: multi-stage air filtration with pre-cleaners, upgraded cooling and sealed components for the summer steppe;
- distance: large fuel capacity, long service intervals and a specification you can maintain far from a dealer;
- ground conditions: traction, ground clearance, tyre choice and protection for steppe tracks and mine roads;
- gradients: engine braking and gearing for loaded climbs and descents on haul roads;
- site standards: beacons, cameras, markings, fire extinguishers and whatever else the operator requires before a vehicle enters the site;
- serviceability: component choices with realistic parts availability, and a specification your own workshop can actually support.
Mercedes-Benz, MAN, IVECO & More
Our range covers the leading European commercial vehicle brands:
- Mercedes-Benz: the Arocs for heavy construction and haulage, and the Zetros for extreme off-road conditions.
- MAN: the TGS and TGX, with strong drivetrains and all-wheel-drive configurations for heavy work.
- IVECO: the T-Way and X-Way, built for demanding on and off road operations.
- Scania: a long-standing choice for heavy haulage.
Other brands are available on request. Kazakhstan drives on the right, so European left-hand-drive vehicles are a natural fit. Not sure which configuration suits your moves best? We compare the options with you objectively, based on your loads, routes, budget and service capability.
How We Arrange Your Purchase from A to Z
Step 1: Consultation and Transport Analysis
We go through the actual moves with you: machine weights and dimensions, existing trailers, routes and gradients, ground conditions by season, site access and the support you have available. As your sparring partner, we tell you where a single unit will not be enough and where a push-pull combination is the right answer.
Step 2: Selection and Configuration
We select suitable 6x6 and 8x8 chassis from our stock or through our European network and specify ballast, coupling, gearing, braking and winter preparation. You receive a clear proposal with full specifications, pricing and planning. Before you commit, we check with you which import, certification and registration requirements apply.
Step 3: Preparation and Modifications
Ballast bodies, coupling arrangements, recovery equipment and winter preparation are carried out by specialised European partners, following the chassis manufacturer’s guidelines. We oversee quality and planning and can arrange an inspection before completion.
Step 4: Documentation, Certification and Compliance
We prepare the export declaration and transport documents and supply the vehicle documents and the European Certificate of Conformity, which is the basis for the conformity certification your importer needs. We check every order against the applicable European export rules, including the destination, the buyer and the end user, and we coordinate with your customs broker.
Step 5: Transport and Delivery to Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is landlocked and far from Europe, so the route matters. We plan it with you and our forwarding partners, including the option of road and ferry transport through Turkey, Georgia and the Caspian to Aktau or Kuryk, and rail or multimodal solutions where that suits the vehicle and the schedule better. We are open with you about transit times and costs before you commit.
Planning a Machinery Move or Building a Heavy Transport Fleet?
Tell us what you have to move, how often and over which routes. Our specialists will work out the right combination with you and prepare a clear proposal, with no obligation.
Robert Brand
Sales Executive
Frequently Asked Questions About Trucks for Sale in Kazakhstan
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Which 6x6 and 8x8 units can I buy through Schaften Automotive?
We supply heavy all-wheel-drive chassis from Mercedes-Benz, MAN, IVECO and other leading European brands, including the Arocs, the off-road Zetros, the MAN TGS and the IVECO T-Way, in 6x6 and 8x8 configurations. We configure them for heavy haulage with the appropriate ballast, coupling arrangements front and rear for push-pull work, braking, gearing, recovery equipment and winter preparation. We also supply the supporting fleet, from crane trucks and mobile workshops to tankers and escort vehicles.
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What exactly is a push-pull combination, and when do I need one?
A push-pull combination uses two heavy tractor units, one pulling at the front of the trailer and one pushing at the rear. You need it when a single unit cannot develop enough tractive effort for the load and the gradient, when you need additional braking and restraint on descents, when traction on the surface is marginal, or when you need to manoeuvre a long combination in tight conditions. On Kazakh mine roads and steppe routes, all four of those apply regularly. Both units have to be specified for the job, with matched coupling, braking and gearing, which is something we work out with you before anything is ordered.
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How do you prepare a truck for Kazakh winters?
Genuine low temperature work needs more than a block heater. We look at engine and fuel preheating, heated fuel lines and filters, cold-rated oils and hydraulic fluids, battery capacity and charging, a parking heater and insulation for the cab, winter-rated tyres and chain provision, and protection for air systems and brakes against freezing and drifting snow. We also look at what your own workshop can maintain, because a sophisticated system that cannot be serviced on site is a liability rather than an asset.
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How are vehicles delivered to Kazakhstan, and which import requirements apply?
Kazakhstan is landlocked, so the route has to be planned deliberately. One common option is road transport through Turkey and Georgia with a Caspian ferry crossing to Aktau or Kuryk, and multimodal or rail solutions can be appropriate depending on the vehicle and the schedule. For the import, Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, which means the common external tariff and the union’s technical regulations for wheeled vehicles apply, alongside local VAT, a recycling charge and registration requirements. Your importer needs conformity certification before the vehicle can be registered, and the European Certificate of Conformity is the basis for that. We check the current position and the full landed cost with you and your customs broker before you commit.
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Can Schaften Automotive supply a complete heavy transport fleet?
Absolutely. We regularly supply multiple vehicles for mining operators and heavy transport contractors. We help you plan the right combination of 6x6 and 8x8 tractor units, crane trucks, mobile workshops, fuel and water tankers, construction vehicles and escort units, so your convoy is self-supporting on a remote move. We align delivery with your schedule and coordinate preparation, documentation and transport for the whole fleet. You have one point of contact throughout, and we remain available for additions, replacements and follow-up orders.