LOGISTICS FEATURE
Fleet fuel efficiency and payload improvements C
ity West Commercials, the South- West’s Mercedes-Benz Commercial
Vehicle Partner has secured a UK record- breaking contract win, receiving an order of 50 vehicles from family-owned and run company Hopkins Concrete. A remarkable improvement in fuel efficiency and payload from its first four units coupled with City West Commercials customer-focused repair and maintenance services persuaded Hopkins Concrete to place the UK’s biggest single order yet for the new Mercedes-Benz Actros truck range. The majority of the trucks ordered will
be Actros 8x4 rigids with S day cabs and 290 kW (394 hp) Euro VI engines. Of these, 25 will be Actros 3240B models with lightweight Hymix mixer drums and 20 will be 3240K tipper chassis fitted with steel muckaway bodies by Abba Commercials. The remaining five vehicles will be Actros 2545 tractor units with StreamSpace cabs, 330 kW (449 hp) engines and mid-lift axles. The company runs a fleet of 60 trucks; most will be stood down to make way for the Actros. The impressive fuel efficiency of the
first four vehicles ordered by Hopkins was a key factor in the company’s decision to order a further 50.
“We’ve seen a remarkable improvement
in economy from the Actros,” says operations manager Ben Legg. “In some cases they’re as much as a
mile and a half per gallon ahead of our established vehicles. Due to the nature of our work we do not have the luxury of motorway trunking and spending a lot of time on hills and country lanes, it is rare that we achieve the highest fuel figures. The Actros are typically returning 8mpg and sometimes a little more on the exactly the same runs where we were previously getting 6.5-7 mpg. “An improvement of that magnitude, if
In some cases economy improvements have been as much as a mile and a half per gallon ahead of Hopkins’ established vehicles
Concrete was the highly competitive body and payload allowance of the 8x4 Actros mixer chassis. “Weight has become a major issue in
the concrete industry because as a result of Euro VI, trucks have inevitably become heavier,” continues Legg. “City West has demonstrated that with a bit of fine- tuning to the chassis and with Hymix’s lightweight bodies we’ll still be able to carry our standard 8m3 load of concrete.” “The Mercedes-Benz team has been very professional and positive throughout the negotiations over our fleet renewal programme. City West Commercials will inspect and service our new trucks during the evenings so they are always available for work when we need them.”
City West Commercials T: 0117 966 9901
www.citywestcommercials.co.uk Enter 307
replicated across the entire fleet is worth a lot of money to the business. What’s more, our new Mercedes-Benz vehicles are not even fully run in yet; we should start to see the optimum fuel performance once they have 30-40,000 miles on their clocks.” Of additional importance to Hopkins
The Demag V-type girder – less is more. The Demag V-type girder’s innovative design makes it 17% lighter than conventional box section profi le girders. This reduces the forces transmitted to the existing support superstructure and provides architects with greater freedom when planning new buildings. The girder design also results in an improved deadweight to lifting ratio for additional load capacity.
Terex MHPS (UK) Ltd Beaumont Road · Banbury Oxfordshire · OX16 1QZ Phone: 01295 676100 Email:
bnb-help@terex.com
Less weight. Reduced loads.
www.demagcranes.co.uk Enter 106
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