Dual-fuel Mercedes-Benz Axors for Warburtons 18 April 2011

Warburtons has introduced a breath of fresh air to its distribution fleet, in the shape of six dual-fuel Mercedes-Benz Axor tractor units.

Supplied by Birmingham dealer Midlands Truck & Van, the Axor 1840s arrived via engine conversion specialist Hardstaff Group, which carried out modifications to allow them to run on both diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG).

"We're committed to gas for environmental reasons," says group transport manager Mark Sutcliffe. "It's a clean fuel that helps us to reduce our emissions and so meet our own carbon management and corporate social responsibility targets."

And he adds: "But the trucks also had to make financial sense for our business, and a dependable warranty is a key part of that equation."

For him, that also meant reliable performance, and he says: "While Mercedes-Benz is a relatively new brand to Warburtons, having worked with the manufacturer in the past, I am confident the vehicles will perform well in our operation."

Hardstaff's conversion of the Axor's straight-six, 400bhp engine automatically feeds gas into the cylinders on demand, at a constantly varying ratio – with Warburtons vehicles achieving an average 60% diesel substitution rate.

The new trucks are now working across the country, distributing the nation's daily bread between Warburtons' 14 bakeries and 13 satellite sites. Double-shifted, they are operating seven days per week and will average 100,000 miles a year.

Author
John Challen

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Related Companies
Hardstaff Group Ltd
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd

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