reig t ervices
Page 33
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Managing director: Mike Rust Kilometres covered: 1,911 Trailer type: Flat Fuel consumption: 9.5mpg
Huntingdon-based EC Freight Services is used to Ivecos. It has been running Stralis tractors since 2003, and MD Mike Rust was looking for a change. "We run Stralis at the moment, but I was thinking of changing to a Daf," Rust says. "The demonstrator came, and I thought it was very, very good. It is now a truck that will give all the other manufacturers a run for their money." Rust was particularly keen on the changes to the chassis, because his prior experience of the Stralis meant he was aware of the wiring problems caused by rough chassis edges. "I'm just hoping that, because they've rolled the chassis, it will eradicate that problem. There are a lot of problems with wiring chaffing on the chassis of the old Stralis, but they've changed that now to rolled steel. I also think they've listened to what drivers
want inside the cab. I tried very hard not to like it because I'd got to a point where I'd had enough of the [old] Stralis, but I couldn't fault it.
"The inside is completely changed — they've got rid of all the old plasticky-rubbishy switches. The cheapness of the inside is what let it down, but they've got rid of the hard dashboard, and put a bit of chrome on there. I think what they've actually done inside is very good. Fuel consumption was also very good, and I used half the AdBlue I normally use in my truck doing the same miles. It's comfy to drive, and when you get out of it at the end of the day, you're not totally tired." Rust was really taken by the Hi-Way, scoring it 5/5 in each of the 19 appraisal form categories. "I thought everything was really self-explanatory. I even got obsessed with the features for keeping your mpg down. It becomes an obsession to get 100%. As soon as I had finished with it, I said I wanted to buy the demo
truck. We're hoping to take delivery of it sometime in December when it comes off the road. I was adamant I was going to the Daf, but the Stralis is a proper truck now that can compete with Dafs, Volvos and Scanias."