Graham's Dairy takes Mercedes-Benz rigids

Scottish dairy Graham’s has taken on nine fridge-bodied Mercedes-Benz rigids.

They were delivered to the Bridge of Allan-based operator by dealer Western Commercial, and are now distributing milk and other dairy products across Scotland.

All are 7.5- and 13.5-tonne Atego models, with the sole exception of a 26-tonne Antos. Their insulated, temperature-controlled bodies are by Tekbo, of Clydebank, and fitted with Thermo King refrigeration units supplied by Thermo King Northern, of Carlisle.

All but a handful of Graham’s 150 trucks wear three-pointed stars. “We’ve been buying Mercedes-Benz trucks for 15 years and they’ve proved to be competitively priced, economical to operate and extremely reliable,” said group transport manager Kenny Kentley.

“They typically perform solidly over a long working life. We’ve just stood down some vehicles that were 12 years old – we’d intended to retire them sooner but they just kept going!”

He added: “The support we receive from Western Commercial is first class too. We undertake some routine maintenance in-house and the dealer provides us with regular and timely parts deliveries, while for larger jobs the fact that Western’s workshop is open 24 hours a day is a big help.”

Graham’s four 7.5-tonne Atego 816s are powered by four-cylinder engines rated at 115 kW (156 hp), while the four 13.5-tonne 1318s have 130 kW (177 hp) variants of the same powerplant. The 7.7-litre six-cylinder engine of the Antos 2532, meanwhile, generates 235 kW (320 hp).  All drive through smooth, swift-changing, standard-fit Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated gearboxes.

The Atego are making deliveries to customer premises while the Antos, along with six other Mercedes-Benz 26-tonners and three articulated rigs, is used for trunking between the company’s headquarters and a network of main depots in Brechin, Glasgow, Inverkeithing, Inverurie and Nairn.

The Euro VI Mercedes-Benz Atego range comprises no fewer than 42 model variants in the 6.5-16-tonne gvw light distribution segment. Customers can choose from four cab designs, all with new seats and ergonomically designed dashboards.