London-based Sterling Relocation has skipped Euro 4, and plans to buy only Euro 5 trucks from now on. Director of operations Andy Johnson explains his reasons behind the decision, which are both environmental and financial. "As an environmentally-conscious company we are always looking at new ways to be greener," he says. "And being based in the heart of the proposed London Low Emission Zone, we're keen to stay ahead of the game by running the cleanest vehicles possible."
The company does
a lot of continental work, and according to Johnson the prospect of playing a reduced fee on German motorways also influenced the decision. He tells MT that he also hopes that it will have a fuel economy advantage over Euro 4. "I have read press reports from operators getting better fuel economy on Euro 5 than Euro 4, and hope that we will do the same. But the truck only went on the road a couple of weeks ago so it is too early to tell."
Although the Sterling Relocation fleet is almost exclusively Mercedes-Benz, Johnston tells MT that it was no way certain that Mercedes were going to win this order. He says he did a lot of research on the EGR versus SCR argument before making up his mind. "At first I though AdBlue would be a pain in the backside" he says, "but that hasn't been the case". He says the tank holds more than enough of the urea solution for any length of journey, although drivers take some
spare too just in case.
"And there are absolutely no problems with storing it. It is not hazardous in any state or form" he adds.
