Energy, Automobile, EV, Renewable News | BJ Waters commissions Mercedes-Benz Actros from Mertrux Truck & Van

BJ Waters commissions Mercedes-Benz Actros from Mertrux Truck & Van

June 29, 2022

Bulk tipping and hazardous load specialist BJ Waters is running two new Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor units with resilient steel bumpers and raised ride heights designed to restrict damage when working on rough sites.

The operator is based in Matlock, Derbyshire, and purchased the latest additions to its fleet from East Midlands Dealer Mertrux Truck & Van. BJ Waters has favoured Mercedes-Benz trucks in the past but these are its first since 2015.

Key to the fourth-generation family firm’s decision to renew its association with the three-pointed star was the fuel-efficient performance of a pair of Dealer demonstration units, which also attracted very positive driver feedback.

BJ Waters new trucks are both Actros 2551 variants with flat-floored, aerodynamic StreamSpace cabs – at 2.5m they are in the wider of the two widths available – and 12.8-litre, in-line six-cylinder engines that produce 375kW (510 hp).

By choosing the steel bumper instead of the standard plastic item, and the same straight front axle and headlight arrangement as a flat-floored unit from the Arocs construction range, the operator has endeavoured to restrict repair costs. This option offers up to 85mm (depending on tyre choice) of additional ground clearance, so carries a lower risk of underbody damage caused by ‘bottoming out’ or getting stuck during off-road manoeuvres.

The new trucks came with a full complement of advanced Mercedes-Benz Trucks technology, including MirrorCam, the manufacturer’s acclaimed replacement for conventional mirrors, the latest version of the fuel-saving Predictive Powertrain Control system, and Active Brake Assist 5 with enhanced pedestrian recognition capability.

However, rather than the standard-fit Multimedia Cockpit, which employs intuitively-operated twin screens instead of traditional switchgear, BJ Waters opted for the interactive upgrade – in addition to a larger, 12in instrument panel, this comes with extra functionality, including satellite navigation.

Its new trucks are also equipped with telematics hardware by FleetBoard, which, like Mercedes-Benz Trucks, is a member of the Daimler Truck family. Fleetboard records and processes data from the vehicle, then rates the driver’s style at the wheel. Criteria monitored include speed, braking, stops and idle times with the engine running, and use of the Mercedes PowerShift transmission’s Eco-Roll function.

Operators can use this information to incentivise their drivers and initiate targeted training where shortcomings in behaviour at the wheel are identified. Improvements in driving style lead inexorably to increased fuel-efficiency.

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