Supplied by dealer Orwell Truck & Van, of Norwich, the new addition is a low-height Antos 2536 LnR ENA and is the subject of a CharterWay contract hire.
The six-wheeler is fitted with an insulated curtainside body and Thermo King refrigeration unit, while the six-cylinder engine transmits its 360bhp output via a PowerShift 3 automated gearbox. Air suspension gives a comfortable ride and, importantly, helps to protect the fruit and vegetables in transit.
The truck has a steering rear axle for enhanced manoeuvrability; unusually for an LnR variant with low frame height, this has been engineered by Mercedes so that it can also be lifted when running light, reducing tyre wear.
The vehicle makes daytime collections in Lincolnshire and, five nights a week, to London’s New Covent Garden Market.
Steve Pegrum, senior director at CC Wells, does the nightly runs with the driver, returning at 4am, taking advantage of the ClassicSpace M-Cab with optional Comfort seats for the passenger and driver.
“The Antos is a beautiful piece of kit, and a fantastic-looking mobile advertisement for our business,” he says.
“It’s comfortable, economical, and handles brilliantly, as well as offering the extra space and capacity we badly needed. We’re carrying more and more product for other people these days, and the 26-tonner’s payload allowance ensures we’re always well within legal limits.”
The company also has two Mercedes Sprinters, also supplied by Orwell Truck & Van, and Pegrum says the dealer’s service is “second to none”, adding: “Mercedes-Benz certainly builds a superior product, but aftersales support is every bit as important to me.”