South Yorkshire structural steel transport specialist MJ Hughes has added the first truck with MirrorCam to its all-Mercedes-Benz fleet.
The 8×2 Arocs, supplied by Northside Truck & Van, will spend much of its time in London, where the manufacturer’s alternative to conventional mirrors meets Transport for London’s Direct Vision Standard scheme.
MirrorCam’s roof-mounted cameras are linked to screens mounted inside the cab, on the A-pillars.
The truck has a ClassicSpace L-cab sleeper for which Auto Electrics Group, of Bradford, fitted a full complement of cameras that provide 360 degree visibility.
It comes with Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels and roof-mounted light bar and its ‘cheese wedge’ beavertail plant body is the work of Sterling, of Stokesley, North Yorkshire.
As a 3245 variant the truck is powered by a 12.8-litre in-line six-cylinder engine that produces 450 hp, and thanks to the single drive axle it is significantly more fuel-efficient than an 8×4 32-tonner.
Its Multimedia Cockpit features intuitively-operated, tablet-style twin screens – one with touch functionality – instead of traditional switchgear.
MJ Hughes, based in Maltby will rely on the workshop team at Northside Truck & Van’s branch in nearby Doncaster to inspect and maintain its Arocs under a Mercedes-Benz Complete Service Contract for the next two years. After this, it will switch to in-house maintenance.
Chris Hall, Plant & Transport Manager at MJ Hughes, said: “The safety benefits are obvious, so I’m all for it. I collected our new truck from the dealer on a miserable day but the images from the cameras were crystal clear.”
Driver Leejay Neale added: “MirrorCam is absolutely brilliant. This is the first time I’ve used it and the all-round visibility is a lot better than I was expecting.
“I’m on and off tight sites all the time, and being able to see so much more of what’s around you makes the job a lot easier – and safer.”