Supplied by Caledonian Truck & Van, the Stornoway-based operator’s new addition is an Actros 2551 with GigaSpace cab and is equipped with a 12.8-litre OM 471 LA straight-six engine, delivering 510bhp through a PowerShift 3 automated gearbox.
Company owner DR MacLeod says the dealer worked hard to convince him of the vehicle’s benefits and the back-up service available. “We also trialled a demonstrator for a week and it compared favourably with our established trucks, so we decided the time was finally right to plant a Mercedes-Benz ‘seed’ in the fleet.”
The Actros joins a 55-truck fleet, mostly based at MacLeod’s Inverness depot. Usually fully freighted at 44 tonnes, the Actros is on regular runs to the Midlands and south of England.
“We’ll be benchmarking the new unit carefully against other vehicles on the same work,” says MacLeod. “Fuel economy will be critical, of course, but so too will after sales support.
“The relationship with the dealer is crucial to us; we’ve been given every assurance we could ask for, so although these are still early days I’m confident the Actros will prove a valued addition to our business.”