C&H puts pen to paper in 40-truck New Actros deal
Paper haulier and distributor C&H (Hauliers) Ltd has invested in 40 Mercedes-Benz tractor units and 34 high-volume SDC curtainside trailers, in a £4m fleet overhaul.
The trucks were supplied by dealer Sparshatts of Kent, and are the subject of a Mercedes-Benz Financial Services operating lease. All are New Actros 2545 models, featuring GigaSpace cabs and fuel-efficient 450hp straight-six engines.
The manufacturer’s Used Commercial Vehicle Centre at Wentworth Park, near Barnsley, played a key role in the deal. Having recently begun supporting the Mercedes-Benz network by making part-exchange agreements, it took back 24 of C&H (Hauliers) previous Actros 2544 Long Distance units, all of which have since entered service with new operators.
C&H (Hauliers) is part of the Charles Gee Group of global logistics companies. It transports 2.2 million tonnes of ‘forest products’ each year, including reeled newsprint, palletised book paper, packs of timber and tissues, and waste paper for recycling.
The company trialled a New Actros ‘seed’ vehicle for six months before committing to its latest order.
Managing director Steve Mercer said: “I’m always reluctant to talk about fuel figures because you need to let a fair amount of time pass before attempting to come up with an accurate fleet average. However, initial results suggest our Euro 5 New Actros are already about 0.3 of a mile per gallon more fuel-efficient than their predecessors, which is certainly encouraging as they should improve further as they ‘bed in’.”
He added: “Driver feedback has also been exceptionally positive – the latest Mercedes PowerShift automated transmission seems to be more responsive than the version it’s replaced, and has been particularly well received.”
C&H (Hauliers) will be presenting one of its New Actros at the Multimodal freight transport and logistics exhibition, to be held at the Birmingham NEC from April 23-25.
