Wincanton logistics company is upgrading its fleet with another 100 Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor units featuring the latest safety technology, Supplied by East Anglia Dealer Orwell Truck & Van.
Wincanton’s new trucks are hauling shipping containers on skeletal trailers. Most are based at Felixstowe, while others work from Liverpool and Birmingham.
The company has specified the Actros 2545s with flat-floored versions of the aerodynamic, StreamSpace cab. Their 330 kW (450 hp) six-cylinder engines are paired with Mercedes PowerShift automated transmissions.
To further improve fuel returns, Wincanton has added optional Predictive Powertrain Control systems. Also available on Antos and some Arocs models, the Safety Pack incorporates pioneering Active Brake Assist 4 and Proximity Control Assist technology, as well as a driver’s airbag. The Safety Pack helps fleet managers to meet their Duty of Care obligations, but it also offers them savings of up to 30% on the price of the individual options.
Wincanton’s Group Fleet Director Carl Hanson saw and felt Active Brake Assist 4 in action on the high-speed bowl at Bedfordshire’s Millbrook Proving Ground in November 2016, when Mercedes-Benz Trucks staged its first RoadEfficiency LIVE presentation. So powerful and compelling was this experience, that he has ensured the Safety Pack option box is ticked for every Mercedes-Benz tractor unit ordered by the company since.
“Given the extra equipment we have specified, these Actros tractor units are among the safest trucks available, and will help to protect other road users as well as our own drivers,” said Mr Hanson.
“Their spacious, flat-floored cabs, which we fit with fridges and microwave ovens, provide a comfortable working and living space for our drivers, while we also know from previous experience that Actros tractors are fuel-efficient and cost-effective to run.”
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