Thirteen Mercedes-Benz Actros 1842LS Euro 5 tractor units have entered service with beds manufacturer Relyon, under a five-year contract hire deal with Ryder.
The new tractor units join a fleet of more than 55 trucks, tractors and trailers supplied by Ryder for nationwide retail delivery operations from Relyon's Devon and Somerset factories.
"We've been a contract hire customer since Ryder first entered the UK market in 1971," comments Laurie Farley, Relyon's logistics manager, "And we recently worked together to find high-specification tractor units that would return the best fuel economy figures when operating at 28 tonnes gvw. The new Actros proved to be an all-round winner."
Farley makes the point that Relyon delivers to retailers from Cornwall to the north of Scotland so its trucks clock up high mileage, making fuel economy a crucial factor in its vehicle choice.
The new tractors will be used with step-frame trailers. The largest trailers are used for bulk customer and distribution centre deliveries, whilst smaller trailers are used for direct deliveries to retailers in smaller towns.
Ryder also supplies Relyon with a fleet of 7.5-tonne trucks, used primarily for deliveries to stores in London. All the vehicles in the Relyon fleet are maintained and serviced by a dedicated Ryder workshop on-site at Relyon's Wellington, Somerset, location.
