Les Smith Haulage returns to Mercedes-Benz

Les Smith Haulage has bought its first Mercedes-Benz vehicles in six years.

The Swindon-based operator, whose founder Les Smith passed away last year, has bought five new Mercedes trucks from the local branch of dealer group Rygor.

This includes two Actros 2545 BigSpace tractor units and three rigid 18-tonne Antos models with StreamSpace cabs.

They form part of Les Smith’s now 36 strong fleet comprising mainly Iveco units such as the Stralis.

“We ran Mercedes trucks for many, many years but they got complacent on price and we switched to Iveco,” said Nick Smith, who now runs the group along with brothers Tony and Danny.

“This time Mercedes got its price right. We need to keep manufacturers on their toes to keep prices keen.”

He said its drivers “love” the new vehicles because of the qualities of their interiors but also “amazing” reductions in AdBlue consumption.

Smith said the order would meet customer demand as the company continues its growth drive.

“Dad took a backseat in the last four years and with our young blood we’ve managed to double the size of the business since then,” he said.

“We miss Dad’s knowhow and always having an answer to one of our questions. For example, you could ask him what the distance in miles was for any location from Swindon. He’d get it exactly right.”