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Tue March 19 2024

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Cemex drivers get clearer view with new 20-tonne Econic tipper

16 Apr 15 Cemex has become the first company in the UK to operate and trial the new Mercedes-Benz Econic tipper truck, which has been designed to reduce the risk of hitting cyclists and pedestrians.

The new Mercedes-Benz Econic tipper truck
The new Mercedes-Benz Econic tipper truck

The Econic gives the driver a wider field of vision, with a deep panoramic windscreen, a fully glazed floor-to-ceiling kerbside door and a low-entry cab.

The low-entry cab has just two steps from ground to cab and with a low driving position means that the driver is on the same level as pedestrians and cyclists, meaning direct eye-to-eye contact between the driver and other road users.

The floor-to-ceiling door, which opens ‘bus-style’ into the cab, allows the driver to see any cyclist who may have cycled up the nearside of the vehicle, a vulnerable position for a cyclist.

Cemex has worked with Mercedes-Benz to ensure that the vehicle meets the current CLOCS (Construction Logistics & Cycle Safety) standards and is fitted with the cyclist safety features of existing Cemex tippers, concrete mixers and cement tankers, such as additional mirrors and signage.

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The Econic tipper will be based at Cemex’s Angerstein Quarry near Dartford and will supply sand and gravel across London.

The tipper is fitted with a Wilcox Wilcolite insulated smooth rigid tipping body and is designed to take a payload of 20 tonnes, the same as a standard tipper.  Previous high visibility design vehicles have had capacities of around 16 tonnes.

Cemex vice president Matthew Wild said that the Econic gave more than 90% extra visibility compared to other trucks.

"Cemex and the construction industry have a responsibility to look at the design of the vehicles that are used day-in and day-out and are an integral part of the business,” he said. "This new design could completely revolutionise the design of the construction vehicle of the future."

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