Drivers at Bartrums Transport are being given driver training on a converted Actros tractor unit from Mercedes-Benz.
The Suffork-based haulage company believes the guidance will help its drivers improve fuel economy, performance and driving standards when behind the wheel of its own Actros tractor units.
Luke Perry, Bartrums' training manager, says that with more than 100 premium spec Actros models on the fleet, its latest addition is being used for training in the day, before undertaking trunking at night from company HQ to the Pallet Track distribution hub in Halesowen, West Midlands.
The Actros 2546 has a flat-floored MegaSpace cab that has undergone an approved conversion in the Mercedes-Benz workshops at Wentworth Park, Yorkshire – home to the truck manufacturer's own driver training programme.
The truck has also been fitted with an extra seat, between the driver and passenger seats. And behind, in place of the lower bunk, is a bench capable of accommodating another four people. The Actros is also fitted with a Daimler FleetBoard telematics system, for the best possible feedback opportunities on performance.
"Training, to help our drivers raise their skill levels and maximise fuel efficiency, is something we take very seriously," says Perry. "Having undertaken a course for driver-trainers at Wentworth Park, I realised that the vehicles used by the Mercedes-Benz team were ideal for the job, so we decided to buy one of our own."
