Bartrums Haulage and Storage praises the latest 12-speed version of the PowerShift transmission fitted to its ten new Mercedes-Benz Actros 2546 tractors.
David Reid, fleet engineer at Bartrums, explains that it is vastly better than the old 16-speed gearbox that features in a dozen Actros tractors purchased in 2006. "Because they have less gears, they tend to hold top for slightly longer. The result is an improvement in fuel economy," he says.
Reid explains that the trucks are proving popular with the drivers too, who particularly praise the relaxing driving experience. "They like the cruise-control resume function," he says, "and the fact they can take their feet off and relax as it continues to cruising speed."
He says they are also impressed with the transmission's Manoeuvring Mode, which limits the revs to 1,000rpms. "It gives them much finer control over the throttle. This is useful when they are backing into spaces and coupling-up."
These are the first Euro 5 tractors on the Eye, Suffolk-based firm's 140-stong fleet. Reid says the decision to skip Euro 4 was made for three reasons: to collect the £500 per annum RPC to take advantage of potentially better residuals and "to do our bit for the environment".
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