Director Andy Williams says key to its decision was the Actros fuel-efficiency, which averaged at 8.25 mpg.
"This may not sound a lot but in our job it's very good indeed, and a full mile per gallon better than the truck it replaced," states Williams, explaining that the Huntingdon-based operator uses its tractors to haul walking floor trailers on waste recycling contracts.
All the new Actros HGVs have flat-floored BigSpace cabs and are powered by Mercedes' 449bhp straight-six engines, driving through smooth PowerShift 3 automated transmissions.
They also came as standard with Mercedes' active and passive safety equipment, including Stability Control Assist, EPB (electro-pneumatic brake system) incorporating ABS (anti-lock braking) and ASR (anti-slip regulation), which brakes each wheel individually to make the most of available grip and minimise stopping distances.
EPB includes secondary braking – whether by engine brake or retarder – to further improve safety and reduce wear. In the event of emergency braking the system automatically activates the hazard warning lights.
"Intercounty's sales executive Paul Hind persuaded us to try a Euro 6 Actros, and we could see straight away that the fuel returns were markedly better than our average," recalls Williams.
"What's more, the Actros looked great and we could see that the Mercedes-Benz build quality was extremely high, while Intercounty Truck & Van gave us all the assurances we needed about the quality of its back-up," he continues.
"Although we hadn't dealt with them before starting this process, we were more than happy to return with an order for a further 10 units."
The Actros tractor units have joined a fleet of 65 trucks, the majority 6x2s working across the South-East, and London where, in addition to constant stopping and starting in heavy traffic, they employ engine-driven PTOs to eject loads of recyclable waste.
"Our drivers are typically out for four or five nights a week so we like to give them comfortable, high-quality vehicles – we also specified factory-fitted fridges in the cabs," states Williams.