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En route from proving yi )tind to the test route
Page 46
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start, we dropped in it Waitrose headquarters at Bracknell for the experts in urban distribution to cast an eye over the Atego. When he's not racing Alfa Romeos. transport manager Ray Foley looks after a fleet of 125 tractors and 220 trailers which had delivered 1.8m cases in the previous week.
By coincidence,Waitrose had just received an Atego tractor for evaluation. although this one came with the 330hp engine and operates at 31 tonnes.Almost all the Waitrose artics run at this weight, with tandem axle Gray & Adams reefer trailers pulled by 3.0m wheelbase day-cab tractors. mostly Dafs.The only exceptions are the evaluation of a 7.8m single-axle 27-cage trailer for central London operations_ and five rigids to service just one busy London location impossible for art ics to reach.
Talking first of the Atego 330 on trial,Foley says that early reports from the drivers were fairly ambivalent. not attracting strung feelings either way, although the four-over-four gearbox wasn't particularly liked for some reason.
Getting behind the wheel of the baby Atego and skilfully chucking it round the yard. he seemed more impressed.The excellent steering lock, compact dimensions and generous cab-trailer clearance helped make it look easy.Whi le he praised the mirrors, we all agreed that for the sort of work it will do,you can't have too much visibility, and windows in the cab rear wall would be invaluable.
As to whether the baby Atego would ever be likely to appear in the new Waitrose livery. Foley felt that while it didn't fit the grocer's current highly standardised profile, the concept was one that could well suit its operations in the future.
Just before leaving Bracknell. we bumped into Ian Keen,one of Waitrose's driver. trainers, having just completed a full day interviewing potential new drivers. Climbing aboard.he immediately commented on how it seemed more spacious than the Atego 330, thanks largely to something as simple as the shorter lever of the 12-speed gearbox.
The Waitrose concern for driver welfare is obvious from looking at its existing fleet, even to the extensive work done to make catwalk operations as safe as possible. So it was no surprise that Keen picked up on the lack of proper steps to the coupling area. He also felt that while it looked generally pretty robust. the front wing marker lamps wouldn't survive many accidental kicking,s.