Woodshavings business opts for Mercedes-Benz trucks

Mendip Wood Shavings bought its first Mercedes-Benz trucks, a pair of first-generation Actros, in 2000. Today, all but four of the 21 vehicles in its fleet are Mercedes-Benz.

A combination of tractor units and eight-wheeled rigids, these trucks are used primarily to deliver sawdust and wood shavings in bulk or bales to wholesalers, dairy farms, equestrian establishments, and country stores, as well as private customers, throughout southern England and South Wales. They also collect raw material from sawmills.

The latest additions to the Mendip Wood Shavings fleet are both Actros 2545 models. Powered by 12.8-litre in-line six-cylinder engines which produce 330 kW (450 hp), they have flat-floored BigSpace cabs with contemporary StyleLine interior trim packages, and Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels.

The new trucks pull box or curtainside semi-trailers, although having been fitted with hydraulic packs by SB Components, of Wisbech, Norfolk, they are also equipped for operation with walking floor versions.

The vehicles are equipped with MirrorCam technology as standard. This is designed to deliver significant benefits when cornering or reversing, especially with an articulated rig.

MirrorCam also offers improved mpg performance – Mercedes-Benz estimates fuel savings of 1.5% – due to the compact, streamlined profile of the camera housings.