Mainland Group orders Ivecos following competitive trial

Northampton-based Mainland Group, a member of the Pall-Ex network, has taken delivery of its first Euro 4 vehicle after running an extensive trial with 7.5 tonne demonstrators from different manufacturers, to determine its preference for EGR v SCR.

The Iveco Eurocargo 75E16 is the first of 12 identical vehicles to be delivered in 2007, and will be followed by a mixture of Daily, 18 tonne Eurocargo and Stralis 6x2 tractor units. Supplied by Stormont Truck & Van, the vehicles will join a fleet totalling 65 vehicles - over 90 per cent of which are Ivecos.

Mike Bacon, Managing Director of Mainland Group, explains: “We ran the Eurocargo for a month and found that filling up with AdBlue was a lot less problematic than expected. It was a very quick and easy process, and considering it only needs to be done every two to three weeks, we realised that it just wasn’t an issue. The fuel consumption on the Eurocargo was also better than the EGR equivalent.

“Another benefit of the new Eurocargos is that they will each feature Iveco’s latest dashboard-mounted gear lever and servoshift, which replaces the traditional nine speed gearbox. The demonstrator scored very highly for its smooth gear changes, combined with the added benefit of easy cross-cab access. We are expecting this to prove a popular new feature with all of our drivers,” he adds.

The revised gear lever position also ensures greater comfort for the second passenger in day cab models, whilst the overall driving position guarantees a comfortable posture even for the very tall or the very short, with the steering wheel adjusting for both height and rake. As part of the already extensive Eurocargo specification, each vehicle benefits from ventilated disc brakes with ABS and EBL as standard.

Mainland Group’s latest Eurocargo order comprises a mixture of both day and sleeper cab models, with curtainside bodies built by Newland Coachworks and Derek Jones Bodywork. They are each being supplied on a four year repair & maintenance agreement and are expected to cover up to 120,000 km annually.

Power is provided by Iveco’s 3.9 litre tector engine, which is capable of delivering up to 160 hp at 2,700 rev/min and up to 530 Nm of torque between 1,200 and 2,100 rev/min. To meet stringent Euro 4 emissions regulations, it is also fitted with a 25 litre urea tank, AdBlue dosing system and catalytic converter.