At the Horiba Mira proving ground in Warwickshire, the minister first drove an Econic 8x4 tipper, a high visibility safety truck with panoramic low-entry cab.
With its armoury of cameras and proximity sensors, the vehicle has been designed to reduce the dangers of construction vehicles working in busy, urban environments.
Nick Blake, engineering director for Mercedes-Benz Trucks (pictured with the minister), pointed out the visibility features and explained how the manufacturer is trying to prevent "cognitive overload" of drivers.
"There's no point in overwhelming them with more technology than they can cope with, because to do so would be self-defeating," said Blake.
"So we ensure, for example, that our proximity bleepers are not constantly set off by street furniture. Likewise, when the vehicle is turning left, the camera image on the screen will only show the view down the left-hand side of the truck. It's all about providing the driver with the information he needs – and no more."
The minister also drove an 8x4 Arocs tipper and a 625bhp Actros Gigaspace tractor.
Afterwards, he described it as "an interesting and immensely valuable exercise", adding: "Of course, I had no other traffic or road users to contend with, but as someone who has never driven a heavy goods vehicle before I was struck by how easy all are to drive.
"That said, the first vehicle (the low-entry Econic) felt totally different to the other two. You're surrounded by glass and sit much closer to the road, so the visibility is incredibly good."