The Scottish operator chose small, 17.5-inch wheel mid-lift axles, with alloys all round, as well as light PTOs (power takeoffs) and blowing equipment, driven directly from the prop shaft.
As a result, these tractors are almost a full tonne lighter than Leiths’ last batch of relatively ‘standard’ Actros trucks, which run with the usual 22.5-inch mid-lifts.
“Our previous Actros are still performing very well, but these new trucks were chosen specifically for work with bulk powder tanks, where payload is all-important,” explains fleet manager Bob Adamson.
“We did everything we could to minimise their unladen weight,” he continues, adding that Mercedes-Benz’s central technical team and sales engineers at the Aberdeen branch of dealership Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles were instrumental in achieving the final design.
“As well as arranging fitment of the non-standard PTOs, [the dealer] handled all of the liaison with Gardner Denver, who supplied the blower equipment, and made the ordering process as easy and painless as possible,” states Adamson.
“The trucks were duly delivered to the correct specification and in perfect condition, so we’re delighted with the outcome,” he continues.
“The new trucks were also very competitively priced while the back-up from Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles’ Aberdeen, Nairn and Ayr workshops, along with others operated by the dealer’s parent company TOM, is excellent,” he adds.
Finally, on safety Adamson points to the Actros standard equipment list, which includes: Stability Control Assist, which reduces risk of roll-over; Attention Assist, which warns against driver fatigue; and Lane Keeping Assist, which detects and alarms on lane drift.