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SogoodtheYlePtit
Page 69
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At last year's CV Show CM and Mercedes-Benz offered operators a chance to win a truck for a year.
More than 1,000 CM readers entered the competition to win a limited-edition Mercedes-Benz Actros Predator 2543LD, with just about every optional extra you can think ot as well as a full repair and maintenance contract. Once the students, CM staff and non-O-Licence holders had been weeded out, the draw was held on the final day of last year's CV Show at the NEC.
DaimlerChrysler UK boss Ian Jones plucked the name of Tony Hill out of the hat; he and his wife Jenny run Jentone Freight in Middlesbrough and they had the Predator out and working within hours of receiving it.
In its 12 months with the firm it's hauled tank containers, containers and curtainsiders from Teesport docks and the city's rail terminal, covering more than 80,000 miles.
Jentone was set up in 1990. starting with just one driver. Since then it has steadily grown to a 14strong fleet.The Actros joined 13 Scanias, but it has held its own.
At the time of the competition Tony's eye was caught by the quality of the presentation of the Actros Predator."I had a quick look and the Predator looked impressive, really good," he explains. "With the paint job it looked six months old."
A year later and Tony is happy to keep the truck on the fleet:"It has been all right.The deal for the 12 months R&M was quite reasonable — cheaper than I expected.
The Predator's first job was a delivery up the road in Sunderland before trekking up the Al to drop in Edinburgh, followed by a reload in Aberdeen.
A year later and several CM staffers spotted it caught up in traffic on the M6 coming into Birmingham.A timely prompt as Tony Hill will be at the CV Show to collect the log book and V5.