Feed supplier harvests fuel returns with Mercedes Actros22 August 2014

Farm feeds supplier ABN has taken delivery of 19 Mercedes-Benz Actros 2445 tractor units and a pair of 8x4 Arocs 3236 rigids, and is already reporting above-average fuel returns, compared with the rest of its 120-strong fleet.

The latest acquisitions were supplied by dealer Northside Truck & Van and come with five-year Mercedes-Benz R&M contracts.

As well as fuel efficiency, the operator chose the Actros for its potential weight saving, having seen the vehicles at last year's Commercial Vehicle Show.

"Ours is a very weight-conscious industry and this looked a perfect set-up for our work, so we decided to investigate further," explains Ken Hardgrave, ABN's fleet manager.

The company trialled a demonstrator vehicle from Northside, which handled well and delivered "excellent" fuel returns.

The 6x2 tractors are fitted with small-wheeled (17.5-inch) mid-lift axles, giving a weight saving of around 250kg, compared to the standard version with 22.5-inch wheels.

The Actros tractors are delivering animal feeds from factories across Britain, direct to farms. Some have been equipped with hydraulics to power bulk-blower trailers, while others have trailer-mounted donkey engines.

The Arocs trucks, meanwhile, have been fitted with farm feed bodies by Priden Engineering, of Wisbech, and used for smaller loads and locations where access is tight.

"Eight-wheelers were traditionally the standard vehicle for feed delivery but as the size of farms – and therefore of deliveries – has grown, we find tractor-trailer combinations are a more practical option these days," states Hardgrave.

All the trucks, he says, have been well received by our drivers.

"Even though they're still very new, the fuel returns are already ahead of our fleet average. That's impressive because we're optimistic the mpg performance will improve still further."

Author
Laura Cork

Related Companies
Mercedes Benz Uk Limited
Priden Engineering Ltd

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