Mercedes-Benz dig in with Leiths

Scottish operator takes delivery of five weight-saving Actros 2442 StreamSpace tractor units

THE latest Mercedes-Benz additions to the vehicle fleet of quarrying, civil engineering and construction group Leiths were specified to maximize payloads, with fuel efficiency and safety also high on the Scottish operator’s priority list. 

The five Actros 2442 StreamSpace tractor units, which arrived via the Aberdeen branch of Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles, ride on full sets of alloys while their mid-lift axles are fitted with small, 17.5in wheels.

Other weight-saving measures include light PTOs and blowing equipment driven directly from the prop shaft. As a result, the new units are almost a tonne lighter than Leiths’ last batch of ‘standard’ Actros, which have 22.5in wheels on their mid-lift axles.

Based in Aberdeen, Leiths (Scotland) Ltd have six subsidiary companies which, between them, employ more than 550 people and have resources across Scotland that include 13 quarries, nine concrete plants and seven asphalt plants.

The company also has an extensive fleet of vehicles including tippers, mixers, a volumetric mixer, hook lifts, bulk artics, powder tankers and low-loaders, to facilitate operations anywhere in the country. Moreover, Leith’s have substantial fabrication facilities, plant and vehicle maintenance workshops, and a paint shop for planned and reactive maintenance.

Grant Milne, managing director of the company’s Quarry Division explained: ‘As an organization, we pride ourselves on providing quality products to meet the varied needs of our customers. We need a reliable and efficient fleet to be able to do this, which is why we were delighted to work in partnership with Mercedes-Benz.’

Mercedes-Benz have been making steady inroads into the Leiths fleet and now account for almost a third of the company’s 150 trucks. Fleet manager Bob Adamson confirmed: ‘Our previous Actros are still performing very well but these new trucks were chosen specifically for work with bulk powder tanks where payload is all important. We did everything we could, therefore, to minimize their unladen weight.’

He continued: ‘With support from the technical team at Mercedes-Benz HQ, the dealer’s sales executive, Keith Johnston, helped us to tailor these vehicles to meet our precise requirements. As well as arranging fitment of the non-standard PTOs, he handled all of the liaison with Gardner Denver, who supplied the blower equipment, and made the ordering process as easy and painless as possible.’

Safety was also key for Leiths, and the Mercedes-Benz Actros are said to lead the field in this regard. Standard equipment includes: Stability Control Assist, which can intervene to control the vehicle in situations where there is a risk of a roll-over; Attention Assist, which detects and warns against signs of driver fatigue; and Lane-Keeping Assist, which can prevent the truck unintentionally drifting out of its lane.

‘Our drivers are really taken with the Actros,’ said Mr Adamson. ‘We’ve had some very positive feedback about how easy and comfortable they are to drive. The new trucks were also very competitively priced while the back-up from Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles’ Aberdeen, Nairn and Ayr workshops, along with others operated by the dealer’s parent company, T.O.M., is excellent.’