Grants' new dropframes
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• A fleet of 14 low-deck Mercedes-Benz-16 tonners, which are claimed to make delivery drivers' jobs safer and less physically demanding, have entered service with Grants of St James.
Grants' Health and Safety Committee was influenced by the ease of access to and from the cab, which it considered a crucial consideration for vehicles making multi-drop deliveries.
Chassis Developments of Leighton Buzzard made the conversion, stepping down the main frame longitudinals by 270rrun behind the cab, to give a floor height of 710mm.
An extension of the wheelbase to 5.3m accommodates the 6.55m Lawrence David side-access body which has space for ten standard pallets.
Maximum headroom in the stepped-down section of 2.23m is reduced by the height of the chassis frame over the drive axle.
To restrict the size of the axle bridge to one pallet width, shorter rear springs are used. Other modifications include relocation of fuel and air tanks, and a transverse exhaust system. The tare weight, however, is contained below seven tonnes.