P&S Logistics gets new Actros rigid

P&S Logistics has taken delivery of a new Mercedes-Benz Actros GigaSpace rigid to use in its temperature-controlled business.

Designed and built over a 15 months period, owner-operator Phillip Hudson describes it as a “labour of love” to upgrade the 26-tonner to make it suitable for his Middlesex-based European food distribution operations.

Built by Schmitz Cargobull in Lithuania, the refrigerated box body M.KO COOL was shipped to the UK and equipped with Carrier Transicold’s multi-temperature Supra 1150 MT. Additional specifications include Kelsa light bars, a tail lift and cameras.

Used primarily to transport Slovakian food, the rigid has been liveried with the country’s flag, with the cab painted with images of London where Hudson was born. The rear doors, designed with Hudson’s Polish wife in mind, feature the Wawel Dragon from Polish folklore as well as the country’s flag.

Hudson also operates a Schmitz Cargobull drawbar reefer with Eco-Drive which is able to run both the truck fridge and the trailer cooling unit electrically off the truck engine’s PTO.

“What I have is very rare. I wanted to create something highly-specced which stands out from the crowd that I can use for the long-term. With the technology fitted, the truck and drawbar meet all the regulations, which has future-proofed my business,” Hudson said.

“I am very happy with it. It was a labour of love putting it together, but now it allows me to do things that some other businesses cannot. I have the ability to use three different temperature zones – ambient, chilled and frozen, depending on what my customers want. If I have work that only requires a 26-tonne truck, or there are weight restrictions, I can just park the drawbar. The bespoke, mechanically operated tail-lift also enables easy and quick loading and unloading of pallets by electric pump trucks.”