Multi-role Mercedes rigids make money work harder at Northumberland 08 January 2013

Northumberland County Council is achieving a new level of efficiency with the latest vehicle additions to its fleet, from Mercedes-Benz and Fuso.

Two 26-tonne Mercedes-Benz Axor 2629s and five 7.5-tonne Canter 7C15s have been acquired, and all of them have been specified to carry out multiple roles.

Supplied by Newcastle dealer Bell Truck and Van, the Axors have been fitted with demountable grit hoppers and spreaders, by Econ Engineering, and can also work with snowplough blades. Their addition now brings the authority's fleet of gritters to more than 30.

However, these chassis were also specified for operation with liquid tar tanks and spraying systems for resurfacing the county's roads with chippings.

As transport and fleet category specialist Brian Jones says: "Traditional gritters have fixed bodies and only work when the roads need salting. They are simply parked for the rest of the year.

"It's the same with road surfacing vehicles, which tend to be unused during the winter. But these new Axors give us the best of both worlds and can work all year round."

And Jones' Canters have also been kitted out for multiple tasks. Each has a cage tipper body with a side-mounted bin lift and a rear tail lift, fitted by Euro Truck Bodies, of Durham.

The trucks are now being used to pick up bins from households where access is too tight for larger refuse vehicles. However, they can also be used to collect loose litter from roadside bins, and remove large, heavy or bulky domestic items, such as old freezers or washing machines.

"It's all about getting the best possible deal for our Council Tax payers, increasing efficiency and carrying out our work with the minimum number of vehicles," states Jones.

Author
Brian Tinham

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