The latest addition to Norris Waste Management's fleet offers, says the operator, a great compromise between the carrying capacity of an 18-tonner and the compactness and manoeuvrability of a 7.5-tonner.
Like all of the company's Mercedes-Benz skip-loaders, its new 16-tonne Atego truck drives through an Autotrans automated transmission, and arrived via the Sparshatts of Kent dealership.
Today, 19 of the firm's 26 vehicles are Mercedes-Benz – most 18-tonne Axor 1824s with 240bhp engines and, like the new Atego, fitted with Hyva skip-loading equipment.
The line-up also includes: a 7.5-tonne Atego 816 skip-loader; an 18-tonne Axor 1833 skip-loader; two 8x4 Actros 3244 hook-loaders; an 8x4 Axor 3240 tipper, and a 510bhp 6x4 Actros 2651 tractor unit, which pulls an ejector trailer.
"We work on the basis that anything we can do to make our drivers' lives easier and safer is money well spent," comments director Peter Norris.
"So as well as automated gearboxes – which also protect drivelines from abuse and help to maximise fuel efficiency across the fleet – we specify air-conditioning and handbrakes that lock all four wheels, rather than just those on the drive axle," he continues.
"The drivers love their Mercedes, while they're also very cost-effective to operate, good on tyres and fuel-efficient, with hardly any downtime," he adds.
