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EIS Waste boosts fuel efficiency with more Mercedes Econics

Aberdeen-based EIS Waste Services has taken delivery of two Mercedes-Benz Econics – the first to be commissioned in Scotland with the Powershift 3 automated transmission.

Supplied by dealer BLS Truck & Van, the operator’s new additions are both 26-tonne Econic 2630 models and feature 7.7-litre, 295bhp straight-six engines.

The new gearbox option has been introduced alongside the established, six-speed Allison automatic.

According to the truck maker, the Allison system is best suited to stop-start domestic refuse collections, while its PowerShift system meets the needs of trade waste operations covering longer distances.

Like all Econics, EIS Waste’s new additions are fully air-suspended and have deep, panoramic windscreens and the low seating position.

Both are fitted with compactor bodies, by Farid Hillend Engineering, of Dunfermline.

They join four other Econics in the 34-strong fleet. Like the earlier arrivals, the two new versions are fitted with Vehicle Weighing Solutions (VWS) dynamic bin weighing equipment, as well as Brigade Electronics’ Backeye 360 recordable cameras and ultrasonic Sidescan systems.

“We serve customers within a 60-mile radius of Aberdeen. This entails covering relatively long distances, compared to a domestic refuse collection vehicle, and means the well-proven Mercedes PowerShift transmission is more appropriate to our operation,” says Neil Sharp, managing director at EIS Waste Services.

“Early indications suggest that these trucks are already delivering the significantly improved economy we’d hoped for.”

EIS Waste has also ordered three 18-tonne Arocs with Hyva skiploaders, and a 12-tonne Atego, as part of its drive to improve overall fleet fuel efficiency and cut emissions.

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