SUPERMARKET FLEETS GO AUTOMATIC
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Recent auto take-up among the big supermarket fleets has been hard to ignore – Mercedes’ PowerShift 2 auto has been the number one choice in Actros ever since the third generation broke cover. Although its Axor fleet artic has a nine-speed manual as standard, Sam Whittaker, Mercedes’ sales and marketing director, reports: “If I look at Axor tractor sales there’s only one customer that still chooses manual over PowerShift. It’s their own personal choice... they’ve always run manuals and they’re comfortable with it – and obviously we respect that. However, other fleets rely on PowerShift and virtually every other fleet customer has moved to it.” Whittaker predicts: “I see the whole industry moving to an automated gearshift mechanism in the shortto medium-term, within three to four years, having an auto either as standard or an option. The reason for going to autos is that you can reduce the weight of the gearbox. There are no synchronisers so it’s lighter, the speed of the gearshift in most cases is noticeably quicker than a manual too – in fact only the very best drivers can beat an automated shift.” Mercedes eight-legger buyers are increasingly opting for an auto too, reports Whittaker. “Some operators still want a manual [they get Mercedes’ own 16-speed ‘Telligent’ manual box] but an auto is an attractive option for weight-critical buyers. For those operators who’ve previously been worried about traction off-road, the latest auto in the Actros has been specifically designed with a rocking-function and slow-speed manoeuvring, which have taken away a lot of the reasons for wanting a manual.”