Leading Scottish dairy Graham’s picked the cream of the crop when it needed new trucks, in the shape of nine fridge-bodied Mercedes-Benz rigids.
They were delivered to the Bridge of Allan-based operator by Central Belt Dealer Western Commercial, and are now distributing milk and other dairy products across Scotland.
All are 7.5- and 13.5-tonne Atego models, with the sole exception of a 26-tonne Antos. Their insulated, temperature-controlled bodies are by Tekbo, of Clydebank, and fitted with Thermo King refrigeration units supplied by Thermo King Northern, of Carlisle.
All but a handful of Graham’s the Family Dairy’s 150 trucks wear three-pointed stars. “We’ve been buying Mercedes-Benz trucks for 15 years and they’ve proved to be competitively priced, economical to operate and extremely reliable,” said Group Transport Manager Kenny Kentley.
“They typically perform solidly over a long working life. We’ve just stood down some vehicles that were 12 years old – we’d intended to retire them sooner but they just kept going!”
He added: “The support we receive from Western Commercial is first class too. We undertake some routine maintenance in-house and the dealer provides us with regular and timely parts deliveries, while for larger jobs the fact that Western’s workshop is open 24 hours a day is a big help.”
Graham’s four 7.5-tonne Atego 816s are powered by state-of-the-art four-cylinder engines rated at 115 kW (156 hp), while the four 13.5-tonne 1318s have 130 kW (177 hp) variants of the same powerplant. The 7.7-litre six-cylinder engine of the Antos 2532, meanwhile, generates 235 kW (320 hp). All drive through smooth, swift-changing, standard-fit Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated gearboxes.
The Atego are making deliveries to customer premises while the Antos, along with six other Mercedes-Benz 26-tonners and three articulated rigs, is used for trunking between the company’s headquarters and a network of main depots in Brechin, Glasgow, Inverkeithing, Inverurie and Nairn.
The Euro VI Mercedes-Benz Atego range comprises no fewer than 42 model variants in the 6.5-16-tonne gvw light distribution segment. Customers can choose from four cab designs, all with new seats and ergonomically designed dashboards.
Power comes from four-cylinder OM934 and six-cylinder OM936 engines. These offer a 90% reduction in particulate and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, while consuming significantly less fuel and up to 40% less AdBlue than their Euro 5 equivalents.
Meanwhile, Atego drivers benefit from the impressively high torque characteristics of these engines, even at low revs, as well as outstanding comfort, visibility and manoeuvrability – the chassis, rear suspension, cab mounting and steering system have all been comprehensively reworked.
Euro VI Atego models also offer a 90% reduction in particulate and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, while consuming significantly less fuel and up to 40% less AdBlue than their Euro 5 equivalents.
