Transporter investment for QVD Fleet Services17 March 2010

Vehicle distribution company QVD Fleet Services has invested in a car transporter capable of carrying up to 11 of the German company's vehicles.

The new truck is another Mercedes-Benz, following a 10-year association with the manufacturer, and will aid in the delivery of around 40,000 cars around the country.

Supplied via Hatfield's S&B Commercials, the Mercedes Actros 2444LS 6x2 tractor unit has a small-wheeled mid-lift axle that works with 17.5in wheels, freeing up space for bodywork and ancillaries.

The axle is 250kg lighter than those fitted to standard 6x2 tractors, which have 22.5in wheels – and, despite having a lower weight rating (4.3 tonnes versus 7.1 tonnes), can still be specified on vehicles operating at 44 tonnes gvw.

Bodybuilder Transport Engineering has fitted a drawbar coupling and Evo 4 car-carrying bodywork to the Actros, as well as supplying the truck's trailer.

The company has also incorporated additional hydraulic controls for safer vehicle loading, as well as ABS on the trailer and a roll stability system.

This new transporter also features the first Wabco smartboard to be fitted to a transporter in the UK, which provides data on driver and trailer activity – such as axle weights and fault codes – information only previously available by connecting a laptop to the truck.

"I'm convinced Mercedes-Benz trucks offer the best overall package in terms of whole-life costs," says QVD's managing director Vic Cole. "They're reliable, fuel-efficient, and popular with our drivers."

Author
John Challen

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