LASO uses FUCHS for all its equipment
For a fleet that drives around the world three and a half times a day, the selection of lubricants, greases and antifreeze is a priority. It's a decisive factor in terms of safety, sustainability and competitiveness. LASO chose FUCHS in 2016 when it was booming. Today, the fleet covers 50 million kilometres, three times more than in 2020.
LASO has grown a lot in recent years, so it was time to review the contract with the world's largest independent lubricant manufacturer. ‘We have a total of 2,600 pieces of equipment: from cars, service cars, high-end vehicles, low-end vehicles to special lorries, high-productivity equipment, hydraulics, etc. We practically have a fleet for anything that needs to be transported out of dimensions, it's our speciality. That's why we have a huge need for lubricants and FUCHS has a product for everything,’ explains Paulo Franco, LASO's Managing Director, adding: ’Since we've been using FUCHS, the lorries have even reduced their consumption and the oil changes are more frequent. We have great confidence in the quality of the products. That's why we chose FUCHS eight years ago and why we've now decided to extend the partnership and thus have a single supplier with the quality we need.’
Since 2016, LASO has expanded throughout Europe, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mozambique. Today, it is one of the three largest hauliers in Europe and employs 1,300 people, including 750 in Portugal. In 2023, it had a turnover of almost 200 million euros, a mark it aims to surpass this year. Another goal for late 2024, early 2025, is to expand into the next market: South Africa. ‘We are leaders, for example, in the area of transporting wind energy, renewable energy. We're close to our customers and that's why the main manufacturers work with us,’ says Paulo Franco. The carrier based near Lisbon is able to solve extreme challenges, such as, in January this year, the transport of a power transformer weighing 368 tonnes, 72 metres long, 5 metres wide and 5.5 metres high. LASO loaded the cargo at the Pêgo Thermoelectric Power Station to transport it to the Port of Setúbal and then on to Greece. ‘At the moment, it's difficult to transport 400 tonnes net or more by road because of the bridges,’ explains the CEO.
In addition to five workshops in Portugal, Spain and France, LASO offers a dozen mobile workshops. ‘An example of our partnership with FUCHS: We decided to upgrade the engine oil in our fleet and together we carried out a study with one of the most advanced products FUCHS has, CARGO MAXX II 5W-30. This engine oil is bought in Portugal to be applied in our three workshops in Portugal and in the workshops in Spain and France,’ says Jorge Costa, Maintenance Director, emphasising: ’The technical support and availability of FUCHS is very important to us. In the workshops, difficulties always arise and the FUCHS team is technically strong and helps us straight away, even on Saturdays.’
What unites the two partner companies is environmental responsibility. The high technology of FUCHS products makes it possible to reduce fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions, and LASO continually invests in the most advanced equipment: ‘In light vehicles, we're already investing in electric vehicles, in lorries for our area there aren't any yet, but we have the most modern lorries on the market, the Euro 6 lorries, and we're always renewing the fleet. And we collaborate with FUCHS to find the most environmentally friendly solutions, since sustainability is a responsibility we all share.’
