Logistics firm Wincanton has bought a fleet of 14 new-generation Mercedes-Benz Actros drawbar units to deliver construction materials to sites.
Wincanton’s construction operations received their first 14 new-generation Actros models from East Anglia dealer Orwell Truck & Van. The 26-tonne rigids are fitted with rear-mounted Hiab cranes, and work with drawbar trailers at 44-tonne gross train weights.
Standard equipment on these fifth-generation Actros trucks includes MirrorCam, Mercedes-Benz’s replacement for conventional mirrors. Camera images are relayed to screens mounted on the A-pillars inside the cab, providing a clear view to the rear while eliminating forward-facing blind spots caused by mirror housings.
Wincanton construction fleet engineer Martin Reeve said: “The improved visibility provided by the new cameras is an advantage, particularly when vehicles are manoeuvring on construction sites.”
As 2546 L models, they are powered by 340 kW (460 hp) 10.7-litre in-line six-cylinder engines.
Given the crane’s position at the back of the truck, Wincanton has opted for uprated rear-steer axles plated at 8,500 kg to give a 19-tonne bogie weight.
The vehicle bodies and the trailers were built in Sheffield by Massey Truck Engineering, and incorporate multiple lashing points for use with ratchet straps – 900 mm curtains provide additional load protection.
Rather than specifying traditional keruing hardwood flooring for its new trucks and trailers, Wincanton has chosen a honeycomb composite plastic that is lighter.
The Hiab 145DLL-1 HiPro cranes have a 7.5-metre reach and maximum lift capacity of 14.4 tonnes. The vehicle engine responds via the power take-off (PTO) to the crane’s requirements – so when the crane is not lifting a load, the engine runs on idle.
Wincanton also specifies Hiab’s HiConnect telematics system. Working together, technicians from Hiab, Massey Truck Engineering, Mercedes-Benz and Orwell Truck & Van have programmed this to deliver key information via the 12-inch display in the Mercedes ‘multimedia cockpit’. This includes pictorial warnings that, for example, the crane boom or remote-control unit have not been correctly stowed.
The Wincanton Group operates some 3,500 trucks in total, including 200 that make bulk deliveries of materials to UK construction sites.
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