The vehicle is an Arocs 3243, powered by Mercedes in-line six-cylinder engine, developing 428bhp and driving through the 12-speed PowerShift 3 AMT (automated manual transmission).
Its lightweight steel body is by L Townend, of Holmfirth, while the high-pressure Binotto TFC 145 tipping gear was selected for its combination of speed, safety, strength and reliability – together enabling a payload of 19.5 tonnes.
The Market Weighton, East Yorkshire-based operator, which works primarily with groundworks and civil engineering specialist Ashcourt Contracts, previously ran Scanai and Volvo trucks.
“I’d never really considered Mercedes-Benz construction vehicles,” comments proprietor Paul Oxtoby.
“However, they’ve really gone to town with this new Arocs, designing and building a truck specifically for my kind of application. So I decided to give it a try.”
Oxtoby drives the Arocs, which bears his registration plate P8 OXO. It went on the road in September, and 10,000km later, he confirms that he is delighted with its fuel-efficiency and low AdBlue consumption.
“My other vehicle is now a year old and returning 6.5 mpg,” he says. “Despite the fact that it’s still loosening up, the Arocs is already averaging 7.2 mpg, and I’m confident that once it’s fully slackened off it will be good for 7.5—7.6 mpg.”
Oxtoby’s new truck has a silver grille, weight-saving alloy wheels and roof-mounted light bar, and was finished at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Ashcourt Contracts’ corporate blue.
“I specified a lot of options including leather seats, a fridge-freezer and satnav,” says Oxtoby, adding that the supplier, Northside Truck & Van, was “very attentive and efficient”.
And he appreciates attention to detail, which included a coaching session from Northside’s driver trainer Mick Bell.
“Mick came out and spent half a day with me in the quarries, which was invaluable... He gave me some very good pointers, particularly with regard to the automated transmission.
“It took a little getting used to but now that I’ve done so I reckon it’s a definite improvement on other auto boxes I’ve tried.”
The Arocs is being inspected and serviced under a Mercedes-Benz R&M contract, by the workshop team at Northside Truck & Van Hull branch.