T4 Logistics of Cardiff recently acquired four new Mercedes-Benz Actros to its lineup of 22 trucks after briefly trying trucks from another brand. The trucks have flat-floored BigSpace cabs and 12.8-litre straight-six engines rated for 350 kilowatts (476 horsepower).
T4 Logistics Managing Director David Butler established the company in 2013 with a single truck. The company has grown steadily since and its tractor units now carry loads ranging from 20- and 40-foot shipping containers to demountable tanks on skeletal frame trailers and steel on flatbeds.
Look Ma, No Mirrors
The company’s latest trucks are fifth-generation Actros equipped with the MirrorCam system instead of traditional door mirrors. Roof-mounted, rear-facing cameras relay images to the screens mounted on the in-cab A-pillars. MirrorCam provides all-around visibility to enhance safety and, due to their streamlined housings which create less wind resistance, a savings in diesel costs.
Enhanced Safety Features
The Actros features Active Brake Assist 5, an emergency braking system that uses cameras in addition to radar. Active Brake Assist 5 can apply full braking automatically at speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph) when it senses pedestrians crossing the truck’s path. The Mercedes-Benz Predictive Powertrain Control system uses digital 3D mapping and GPS data to scan the road and manage gear changes accordingly to make full use of the Mercedes PowerShift 3 transmission’s Eco Roll function. This optimises fuel efficiency and reduces emissions.
T4 Logistics chose to upgrade to the interactive twin-screen Multimedia Cockpit. Drivers benefit from a 12-inch central display, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, and the Mercedes-Benz Truck App Portal, an open platform that enables fleet managers to assign apps to individual vehicles. The company also added cameras and side sensors to warn drivers of cyclists, as well as audible left-turn warning indicators to alert others on the road.
“As well as its proven reliability, the Actros has always been a popular truck with our drivers,” says T4 Transport Consultant Mark Rees. “The latest developments on these new models only make it more so. MirrorCam, in particular, is clearly the way forward in vehicle design. Overall, we’re delighted with our new Mercedes-Benz trucks.”
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Source: Mercedes-Benz