News from Mercedes-Benz: The first Mercedes-Benz Arocs to join the fleet of Birmingham-based Go Waste is already giving its new owners fuel for thought, with economical performance from the day it was delivered.
“We would never bother to measure a new truck’s mpg figures until it had been on the road a few months and had a chance to loosen up,” says Managing Director Mick Jones. “But the Arocs is already looking very good – definitely better than any of our other eight-wheelers.”
The 8×4 Arocs 3240 is powered by a 394 hp 10.7-litre engine, driving through a Mercedes PowerShift automated transmission. It has joined the waste management specialist’s fleet of 18 trucks, which work across the West Midlands and beyond.
Fitted with hook-loading gear by Reload Systems, of Oldbury, the Arocs carries a range of roll-on roll-off bodies including large skips, shallower ‘muckaway’ bodies for construction or demolition waste, and platforms for moving plant equipment.
Jones adds, “We’ve had Mercedes-Benz trucks on the fleet before, but not for some years now. Our original intention was to buy a used vehicle but when Midlands Truck & Van sales executive Alan Whateley brought his Arocs demonstrator over to show us, we were so impressed we decided to give one a try.
“The truck has great presence and is clearly built for the conditions it will face in this job. It’s a joy at the wheel too – the automated transmission is very smooth and makes the driver’s life so easy.
“The dealer provided a first class service, which included liaison with the bodybuilder. What’s more, the purchase price was highly competitive, as was the rate for the five-year Mercedes-Benz Repair and Maintenance contract.”
The Euro-6 Arocs range comprises tractors and four-, six- and eight-wheeled rigids, with gross weights from 18 to 250 tonnes. All combine previously unseen levels of performance and efficiency with state-of-the-art Euro VI engines, driving through Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated transmissions, which offer mpg savings of up to 5% compared to equivalent, outgoing models.
