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Bartrums trains for gains with Mercedes-Benz Actros

24th March 2011 Print
Mercedes-Benz Actros

Drivers at Suffolk’s Bartrums Transport are being trained on how to get the very best from their Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks – at the wheel of the company’s own, specially converted tractor unit.

The latest addition to Bartrums’ fleet of more than 100 premium specification Actros is now hard at work delivering training sessions during the day, and trunking at night from the firm’s headquarters in Eye to the Pallet Track distribution hub in Halesowen, West Midlands.

Supplied by Ipswich dealer Orwell Truck & Van, the Actros 2546 has a flat-floored MegaSpace cab that has undergone an approved conversion in the Mercedes-Benz workshops at Wentworth Park, Yorkshire – which is also home to the manufacturer’s own driver training programme.

The truck has been fitted with an extra seat, between the driver and passenger seats. And behind, in place of the lower bunk, is a bench capable of accommodating another four people. To provide detailed feedback on driver performance, the Actros – like the other trucks on Bartrums’ fleet – is also fitted with a Daimler FleetBoard telematics system.

Training Manager Luke Perry explained: “Training, to help our drivers raise their skill levels and maximise fuel efficiency, is something we take very seriously. Having undertaken a course for driver-trainers at Wentworth Park, I realised that the vehicles used by the Mercedes-Benz team were ideal for the job, so we decided to buy one of our own.”

Bartrums’ 150 drivers typically receive one day’s training per year, in a session lasting seven hours. As well as providing specialised tips on getting the best from the Actros drivetrain, and on economical and defensive driving in general, the course provides the hours they need to qualify for the mandatory Driver Certificate of Professional Competence. The company also offers training services to third-party operators.

“The focus is on fuel economy and general driving standards,” continued Mr Perry. “Our own drivers are all on course to complete the required 35 hours of DCPC training by the 2014 deadline and are also learning how to get better fuel performance from their vehicles.

“The fact that our trucks are equipped with Fleetboard is a major advantage. Before a session starts we look at the driver’s average fuel consumption and other statistics for the previous week or month; then, at the end of the lesson, we complete an evaluation run and compare the new figures with their earlier read-outs. The system cannot lie and the improvements they achieve are plain to see.”

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Mercedes-Benz Actros