Operations director Graham Fagan says the truck, which entered service last year, delivers on three main fronts: driver appeal, fuel efficiency and image.
“We take great pride in the appearance of our fleet and the Actros certainly has the right image,” states Fagan.
“We also endeavour to provide our drivers with the best vehicles, and their feedback has been entirely positive,” he continues, adding that they particularly like the driveability, performance and quality interior of the new Actros.
“The Actros is leading the way on fuel economy too, with mpg returns right up there with the very best on our fleet. This helps us to minimise the impact of our operation on the environment, an important factor given our commitment to sustainability.”
Fagan & Whalley’s first Actros was a 2545 with the BigSpace cab, powered by the 12.8-litre, 449bhp straight-six driving through a 12-speed Mercedes PowerShift 3 AMT (automated manual transmission).
The next two will take engines from Mercedes’ second-generation OM 471 family, capable of delivering 3% better fuel returns.
Mercedes-Benz dealer Ciceley Commercials convinced Fagan & Whalley to go for the new order after providing an Actros Fuel Challenger for trial.
“These are still relatively early days and the evaluation is ongoing. We want to see how the trucks perform over the longer term, into years three and four, but the early signs are certainly promising,” states Fagan.
“We’ll also be monitoring the support we receive from Ciceley Commercials, though having bought a few rigids from them in the past we know they run a very professional operation.”