Smaller turntable ladders in lengths from 18 to 20 to 22 to 25 metres became very widespread in Germany in the teens, twenties and thirties, replacing old style wheeled long ladders almost entirely. This changeover happened much more quickly than in any other country, largely because the two largest and - arguably - best ladder manufacturers were Magirus and Metz, both well established and already highly regarded by German fire services for decades. Competing aggressively against each other, they marketed these new smaller ladders with strong sales efforts and often cut prices, to bring about what amounted to a technological revolution over a twenty year period. For many fire services, there was no real need for a 27 or 30 metre ladder, but a smaller one made a lot of sense. The old wooden wheeled ladders were very heavy and needed a lot of well coordinated manpower on scene, while the motorized TTL was quicker, easier to maneuver and required fewer crew members. To this day, turntable ladders are a much more common sight in Germany than in most other places, despite the introduction of lightweight 12 and 15 metre extension ladders. In German cities and large towns, the ratio is usually one TTL for every two pumpers, and one or more respond to every structure fire call.
Added by Rob Johnson on 08 January 2026.