Supplied by dealer Rygor Commercials, the 18-tonne Antos 1824 chassis has an extended M- ClassicSpace day cab with optional centre seat. Its high-torque, 7.7-litre straight-six engine produces 235bhp and is paired with a PowerShift 3 automated transmission.
The vehicle’s bespoke body, by Cheshire-based Somerford Equipment, was designed in conjunction with Amey and included input from the operatives on the ideal specification.
It has three fixed oil-fired units for heating the thermoplastic material used to mark roads – one each for white, yellow and a third colour, usually blue or red. A fourth, demountable preheater is used for high-friction surfacing material, typically laid at junctions.
Highly insulated preheaters have hydraulic paddles which are driven by the truck’s PTO system, rather than a separate diesel engine, resulting in quieter operation. Safety features include low access, anti-slip finish on the bed, and a 360-degree recordable camera system by ISS, which gives live feeds while the vehicle is in operation.
“Not only do Mercedes-Benz trucks offer the well-proven reliability which is crucial to our operations, but they are also fuel efficient and cost effective to run, and impressively equipped in terms of safety systems,” says Jason Clement, Amey supply chain manager.
“The opinions of frontline colleagues are important, too... The road marking team in Birmingham are delighted with their new truck, not least because we involved them in its design – we listened to what they had to say, then built them the truck they wanted.”