Tarmac contractor M&J Haulage has taken delivery of a new double-drive Mercedes-Benz Axor tipper. The 26-tonne Axor 2633 was supplied by Gerard Mann Commercials, Birmingham, and is fitted with an insulated aluminium body from Peterborough-based PPG Aluminium Fabrications.
Owner-driver
Mick Packer operates at Mancetter Quarry, near Atherstone, Warwickshire. He says: "It's the first Mercedes to work out of this quarry for Tarmac and the other lads are really impressed with it.
"Gerard Mann loaned me a demonstrator for a week and I was really taken with it. It's very comfortable and the steering is nice and light, while the 330hp engine means it has plenty of pulling power - I'm always grossing at 26 tonnes but it really flies up the hills. It's still bedding in but I'm already achieving mpg returns in the high eights, which is pretty good."
Packer, who has been driving trucks for 29 years - the last eight of them under contract to Tarmac - says one reason he switched to Mercedes from another manufacturer was the aftersales backup service on offer. "In this game, your chassis has to be strong and robust," he adds. "The Axor certainly looks very well built, so I'm confident it will be able to take the knocks and bangs it will inevitably get."
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