Grain merchant Nidera's has invested in five Mercedes-Benz New Actros 2545 trucks with StreamSpace cabs and 450bhp engines, mated to Mercedes PowerShift 3 12-speed automated transmissions.
The operator also specified the Daimler FleetBoard telematics system, which helps to analyse driver performance against a range of criteria, including over-revving, harsh braking, idling and speeding – and highlights areas for improvement.
The company, which runs a fleet of 44 6x2 tractor units, also has six more New Actros trucks on order, for delivery next year.
"We've heard a lot of good things about New Actros, particularly in terms of fuel consumption," comments Tim Capey, Nidera's general manager for industrial operations.
"Mercedes-Benz was talking at the launch about an improvement in economy of up to 7%," he continues. "Given the fact that the previous Actros is itself a highly fuel-efficient vehicle, if the new model comes even close to that figure, then it's an easy decision."
And he adds: "They've only been on the road for a few weeks so it's too early yet to comment on the mpg returns, but we're certainly very pleased with our New Actros."
Nidera has now retrofitted all of its trucks with Daimler's FleetBoard hardware, and calculates that, as a direct result of this and its targeted training, it has already achieved a 17% saving in fuel costs.
