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RILMAC SCAFFOLDING
Page 28
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Rilmac Scaffolding, part of the Lincolnbased Rilmac Group, has been in business for more than 40 years. Over the past three years the company's growth has accelerated, with its fleet of Mercedes-Benz 7.5-tonners expanding from three torn.
"As a group we run a mixed fleet of about 8o vehicles but on Rilmac Scaffolding we only use Mercedes-Benz," says director Mel Booth. "We had 8148 before we replaced them with the first R-reg Ategos on the market.
"We like the fact that it's totally theft proof as well as being specified with the latest technology. The driver can't go wrong with it. If something does develop a fault then it's flashed up on the dash. The 815 has a bigger cab than the old 814; even our day cabs have the full three seats. "The front is lower to the ground, which is good for getting in and out, but on building sites we have been known to rip off the front bumper. The fact that it's plastic, like the side trim, means it doesn't rust. Appearance is important to us—it helps us present a profes sional image to the customer. We keep our trucks for five years and the Mercedes look as good at the end of their time as the day we bought them. In the past we have nm other trucks that have been rusty after just a couple of years.
"The 815 Atego might cost a little bit more than other makes but the servicing costs are very reasonable and they don't depreciate in value as fast. We write them down 25% a year on the books and we have always been on the right side when we have traded them on. Although we operate all over the country they don't do a big mileage, only about 30,000 miles a year, but they do run fully laden with 3.5-tonne payloads most of the time.
"Fuel consumption varies from r8mpg locally to as much as 26mpg on a run. We're on steel suspension all round and the ride is very smooth whether they are empty or loaded. We haven't had anything serious go wrong. Worn gear linkage put a couple off the road, but that was put right quickly. They're generally very reliable, and as far as image and operating cost go they are miles ahead of the opposition."