Supplied by Bell Truck and Van, both are Arocs rigids with ClassicSpace M-cabs, JC Payne dropside bodies, and rear-mounted Hiab cranes. Their specifications include MirrorCam, the, camera-based replacement for conventional mirrors, and the Active Brake Assist 5 emergency braking system.
One, a 26-tonne 2532 L model with rear-steer axle for enhanced manoeuvrability, is now working from the branch in Leeds that Rinus Roofing Supplies opened in June. The other, an 18-tonne 1827 L, is based at its depot in Bradford.
Rinus Roofing Supplies operates from a head office in Darwen, Lancashire, and a network of 24 other locations which it continues to expand
The company acquired its first Mercedes-Benz vehicles, also from Bell Truck and Van, in 2013. Today, having stood down the last of its previous trucks in October 2019, and with the exception of four rented Mercedes-Benz vehicles, every one of its 50 trucks arrived via the same north-east dealer.
Most, including the latest, are the subject of Mercedes-Benz Finance contract hire agreements under which they are maintained by the most conveniently located members of the manufacturer’s dealer network.
Rinus Roofing Supplies relies on its Mercedes-Benz and FUSO trucks for roofing materials deliveries.
Its operations and risk manager Martin Pollard states: “After five years repair costs for our previous trucks were a lot higher than we’ve experienced with the Arocs. This increased reliability has been invaluable in enabling us to meet our delivery commitments to customers, as the business has continued to grow.”
Pollard praised the MirrorCam technology. “The visibility is so much better, and it’s particularly noticeable, for example, when you’re approaching a roundabout,” he said. “Drivers no longer have to contend with mirror covers the size of dustbin lids blocking their line of sight. MirrorCam’s cameras also make it a lot easier to judge where the truck’s rear-end is.”
The company’s fleet includes a pair of 3.5-tonne Sprinters and a handful of 7.5-tonners, both Mercedes-Benz Atego and FUSO Canter models, as well as five 18-tonne and a single 32-tonne Arocs. The backbone of the fleet, however, is the 26-tonne Arocs, and Bell Truck and Van is due to deliver another three before the end of the year. Like all of the bigger rigids, these will also have dropside bodies and cranes.