Relay Technical Transport’s 54-vehicle fleet consists entirely of Daimler Truck family products. The majority are Mercedes-Benz trucks fitted with box bodies; notable exceptions include seven Fuso Canter 7.5-tonne (8.3-U.S.-ton) trucks and seven Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor units. To update the fleet and better protect the fragile electronic equipment their trucks typically carry, Relay recently ordered five new Mercedes-Benz Atego 1224L trucks and specified them with air ride suspensions.
“I’ve been with this business for 23 years and can’t recall us running anything other than Mercedes-Benz and Fuso trucks,” says Relay Technical Transport Operations Director Tom McMahon. “The Atego has been ever-present because it’s such a fantastically reliable piece of kit. We currently have in excess of 30 and they just don’t let us down.”
Atego Reliability
The Buckinghamshire-based operator typically replaces their trucks every five years, but the heavy workload that began during the pandemic and continued supply issues have kept the company’s older Ategos in the field longer than normal.
“We’re currently replacing Atego that have been on the road for 10 years and clocked 800,000 kilometres [497,096 miles],” says McMahon. “They’ve certainly not been falling down on us, though. Rather, they’ve still been out there, day in, day out, and doing a great job.”
Six-Cylinder Power
The new 12-t (13.2-U.S.-t) Atego 1224L trucks joining Relay Technical Transport’s fleet are equipped with 7.7-litre, six-cylinder engines producing 238 horsepower (175 kilowatts). Mercedes-Benz also offers the Atego with a range of four-cylinder engines, but the six-cylinder Relay Technical Transport’s clear choice. “We now choose the ‘straight six’ because we believe this means there’s less pressure on the engine, which contributes to longevity,” explains McMahon.
High-End Body & Cab
Bespoke box bodies are fitted to Relay Technical Transport’s Ategos to ensure electronics and valuable equipment are safely moved. Just a few of the key body features include diesel/electric Eberspächer heaters, padded tie rails, and load lock tracking. The box body’s Bär Cargolift cantilever tail lifts can pick up 2 t (2.2 U.S. t) to simplify loading and unloading.
At least two individuals trained to handle delicate and fragile loads are present on every trip, so the company selected crew-friendly Mercedes-Benz ClassicSpace L cabs that seat four, with seating that can be pulled out to double as a bed as necessary.
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Source: Mercedes-Benz