Hopkins builds on fuel efficiency with record Mercedes Arocs order01 October 2014

Hopkins Concrete has placed an order for 50 Mercedes-Benz Arocs trucks – the single largest order to date for this range – after its first four Arocs delivered "remarkable" fuel efficiency.

Delivered by Mercedes dealer City West Commercials, most of the truck acquisitions are 8x4 rigids with S day cabs and 394bhp Euro 6 engines.

Of these, 25 will be Arocs 3240B models, with lightweight Hymix mixer drums, and 20 will be 3240K tipper chassis fitted with steel muckaway bodies by Abba Commercials.

Five Arocs 2545 tractor units make up the remainder of the order, and these will have StreamSpace cabs, 449bhp engines and mid-lift axles.

As well as fuel efficiency, achieving payload targets was key for Wincanton-based Hopkins, according to operations manager Ben Legg.

"Weight has become a major issue in the concrete industry, because as a result of Euro 6, trucks have inevitably become heavier," he states.

"But City West has demonstrated that, with a bit of fine-tuning to the chassis, and with Hymix's lightweight bodies, we'll still be able to carry our standard, 8m3 load of concrete."

Legg says the operator will replace most of its 60-strong fleet with the new Arocs. Four of its existing fleet, however, will be retained – these are Arocs 2645 Streamspace tractors with tax axles, which only went into operation in June.

"We've seen a remarkable improvement in economy from the Arocs," says Legg. "In some cases they're as much as 1.5 mpg ahead of our established vehicles.

"The nature of our work – we don't have the luxury of motorway trunking and we spend a lot of time on hills and country lanes – means we're never going to achieve the highest fuel figures.

"But the Arocs are typically returning 8 mpg and sometimes a little more, on runs where previously we've been getting 6.5-7 mpg."

And he adds: "An improvement of that magnitude, if replicated across the entire fleet, is worth a lot of money to the business."

Author
Laura Cork

Related Companies
Abba Commercials
Hymix Ltd
Mercedes Benz Uk Limited

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