Irish plates for new Mercedes
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• A Bedford waste haulier has bought the first 6x4 Mercedes tractive unit in the UK.
And although Mercedes estimates it will not win Type Approval in Britain for a few months, Ray Joiner of Joiner Trucking has been able to put it into service this week by registering it in Northern Ireland where Type Approval regulations are different.
Once the vehicle gets British Type Approval he will be able to transfer the Wilcox-bodied tipper trailer to British plates.
Joiner, who also has a 4x2 Scania and 6x4 ERF, both artics, says he needs the twindrive unit because he works off road 25% of the time.
The Mercedes is heavier and stronger than the other 6x4s on the market, he says. He plans to buy a second unit to replace his Scania in January. He adds that the sacrifice in payload because of a heavier unladen weight does not matter as he is paid by the load.
Aylesbury dealer Pentagon, which sold him the truck, says it expects further sales to waste hauliers in Bedfordshire.