Supplied by dealer Bell Truck and Van, the Morpeth-based operator’s latest Actros – like its predecessors – is the 2551 tractor with BigSpace cab, featuring a 12.8-litre straight-six engine producing 510bhp via a PowerShift automated gearboxes.
It brings the operator’s fleet to 18, 17 of which are Actros and one Fuso Canter 7.5-tonner.
“We’ve tried most other makes in the past but nothing beats the Mercedes-Benz as an all-round package,” says director John Dungait.
“Our trucks perform superbly and are extremely reliable in a very tough application. They also look smart and are very popular with our drivers.”
The Actros pull 4.8m-high ‘chipliner’ trailers and usually run fully-freighted at 44 tonnes gcw. “They average 8.2 mpg, which is very good considering the demands of the job,” says Dungait. “On the rare occasions that we have a much lighter load on, they are well into double figures.
“No less important is the excellent service we receive from Bell Truck and Van...The dealer looks after us really well and nothing is ever too much trouble.”