Graham’s gears up with auto-shift Atego trucks20 April 2010

An increasingly demanding multi-drop urban delivery schedule has prompted Scotland's largest independent milk producer to buy its first rigid trucks with automated transmissions.

Graham's The Family Dairy has bought four Mercedes-Benz Atego 1318s from Glasgow dealer Western Commercial, all equipped with Telligent Autotrans transmissions. Transport manager Stephen Elliott says they have been so well received that it has ordered two more.

The new 13-tonners have been fitted with insulated box bodies by Tekbo; two have Carrier fridges, the other two Thermo King units.

Graham's operates a Mercedes-Benz-dominated fleet of 150 vehicles, ranging from 3.5-tonne vans to 44-tonne tractor units.

"We buy Mercedes-Benz trucks and vans for their all-round quality, and because they offer outstanding reliability," states Elliott.

While two-pedal set-ups are now common at the heavier end of the truck market – Mercedes PowerShift last year became a standard feature on Euro 5 Actros tractor units – it is still relatively unusual for light- and medium-weight rigids to be equipped with auto boxes.

Explaining the decision to this route, Elliott says: "We do a lot of city centre work, during which our drivers can make up to 50 deliveries a day. That's arduous work but the auto box certainly makes driving easier as is demonstrated by the positive feedback I've received from those who have had the opportunity to try these new trucks."

Elliott also says that the automated transmission are "making an important contribution towards increased safety too", essentially because drivers can concentrate fully on steering and on traffic conditions. Just as important, he suggests that by reducing wear and tear on the driveline, the automated transmission "should also allow us to reduce our vehicle maintenance costs".

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd

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