Euro serves up a Mercedes-Benz recipe for success to NR Evans
A mouth-watering menu of top-quality trucks, free telematics hardware and first-class dealer back-up convinced food distribution specialist NR Evans to order 18 new Mercedes-Benz tractor units.
All premium specification Actros 2544 models with flat-floored MegaSpace cabs, they are based at the operator’s headquarters in Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire.
The new trucks were supplied by Swansea dealer Euro Commercials, and are the subject of a three-year contract hire deal with Mercedes-Benz CharterWay, a commercial vehicle brand of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.
NR Evans has taken advantage of an exceptional offer under which all Actros and Axor tractor units contract-hired through Mercedes-Benz CharterWay also come fitted with Daimler FleetBoard telematics hardware – three months’ vehicle management services are provided too, at no extra cost.
The Actros are now hard at work delivering foodstuffs, typically to supermarket RDCs. NR Evans is one of the top 10 temperature-controlled distribution operators in the UK, handling more than £500 million of product annually from a network of seven depots.
The company works closely with leading names in the food industry including Dairy Crest, for which it opened its first dedicated warehouse, three years ago, and national supermarket chains such as Tesco and Morrisons.
NR Evans gained its first taste of the Actros six years ago, when it introduced the first eight Mercedes-Benz trucks to its 120-strong fleet. That order followed a strong performance by a demonstration unit, which scored highly on fuel economy and, crucially, proved popular with the company’s drivers.
“The quality and huge amount of space offered by the MegaSpace cab is still a big plus point in favour of the Actros,” confirmed Managing Director Neil Evans. “This, along with the excellent fuel returns and competitive contract hire rates, makes the big Mercedes a very attractive proposition.
“What really sets these trucks apart, though, are the FleetBoard telematics systems and the excellent back-up we receive from Euro Commercials.”
Daimler FleetBoard’s industry-leading technology provides comprehensive and easily-accessed management data on the performance not only of the vehicle but also of the driver – it measures driving styles against a range of criteria such as over revving, harsh braking, idling, speeding and ‘green band’ driving, highlighting areas in which improvements can be made.
“It’s too early to put a figure on the fuel cost savings we expect FleetBoard to deliver,” continued Mr Evans, “but the signs are certainly encouraging. Our drivers have reacted very positively to the feedback they are now receiving, and they’ve done so because they are professionals and want to do the best possible job. So anything that helps them to drive more efficiently is welcomed all round.”
He added: “The service we receive from the dealer, meanwhile, is first class. Euro’s workshop team are always ready to take our vehicles in for servicing at our convenience, not their own, and sales executive Steve Bastin has been ‘bashing my door down’ for years!”
