Mercedes-Benz 8x4 Arocs rigids for Burcombe Haulage

City West Commercials has delivered its first two Mercedes-Benz 8x4 Arocs ENA rigids to Cornwall’s Burcombe Haulage and is set to supply a third.

As ENA variants, the Arocs 3240s with ClassicSpace M-cabs, feature single front steer axles, double-drive bogies as well as trailing and lifting rear-steer axles, which give them improved turning circles compared to standard 32-tonne eight-wheelers.

One has a Charlton steel tipping body and is used mainly on muckaway work while the other, which is in the livery of sister company B&C Concrete, is fitted with a McPhee mixer drum.

Both trucks have 400hp six-cylinder engines which drive through 12-speed Mercedes PowerShift automated transmissions.The next Arocs ENA will also be a tipper with lifting, rear-steer axle - a 3251 model with a more powerful 510hp straight-six and StreamSpace sleeper cab.

Family-owned Burcombe Haulage/B&C Concrete based in St Dominick, near Saltash, has a mixed fleet of about 60 trucks.

Transport manager Stuart Wilkie said: “We have to access some tight locations in this part of the world.

“Their steering and lifting back axles effectively give these trucks the same degree of manoeuvrability as a shorter six-wheeler, while allowing us to retain a payload capacity which is only slightly lower than a conventionally configured 8x4 chassis.

“We’re also confident that as 32-tonners they will command significantly higher re-sale values than a 26-tonner; it’s very difficult, these days, to sell a six-wheeled tipper.”

• Check out our dedicated City West Commercials dealer page if you're in the market for a truck - it's full of the latest deals.