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"Our policy is to stipulate big cabs and a high specification for all
Page 36
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of our trucks." John Williams John Williams is the managing director of Felixstowe-based Maritime which specialises in the movement of containers to and from UK ports. He acquired the company in zo or and currently runs a mixed fleet of some 200 vehides. Scania and Daf dominate but in 2002 the company added 16 Mercedes-Benz Actros 2543 tractive units, in two batches, equipped with the MegaSpace cab to replace Iveco units at its Felixstowe depot.
He tells us: "Our policy is to stipulate big cabs and a high specification for all of our trucks. The Actros comes with air conditioning. Our drivers spend an average of three nights out each week and they particularly like the freedom that the walkthrough cab with the fiat floor gives them. We either buy outright with contract maintenance included, or get them on HP or contract lease.
"Actros was more expensive than we might have paid for an Iveco replacement, but it was competitive on price with other trucks in the fleet. However, there is more to consider than just initial cost. We have to look at fuel consumption, dealer support, downtime, service flexibility and driver acceptability. "We have a good relationship with Orwell Trucks at Ipswich and it came up with a package that interested us. Mercedes-Benz had already resolved its electronic problems well before we took delivery of our Actros units. Overall, the trucks have been very reliable. Fuel consumption has met our high expectations, averaging about 9.0mpg, with an acceptable performance at operational weights between 38 and 44 tonnes gross.
"We find that the payload is adequate for container work. Downtime has been minimal and the parts supply is first class. Warranty claims have not been a big consideration for us because all of the trucks are covered by contract maintenance. Mercedes-Benz' seat material is more durable than it used to be and generally the cab trim stands up to the daily wear and tear very well.
"We plan to keep our 25435 for three years, which is a typical term for an operating lease. We have buy-back deals in place for the ro Actros trucks we have purchased, and it will be interesting to see how they work out. We like what we have seen of the new models and we are considering buying more in the future."