Ahern goes greener with Mercedes-Benz Antos

Ahern goes greener with Mercedes-Benz Antos

Nearly 70 years after it began trading, Ahern Waste Management & Recycling Services is running its first Mercedes-Benz truck. The Essex-based operator commissioned the 26-tonne Antos after hearing and reading positive reports about its fuel-efficiency and reliability.

Supplied by Dealer S & B Commercials, the Antos 2530 has an M ClassicSpace cab and is powered by an advanced 220 kW (299 hp) engine that drives through a 12-speed Mercedes PowerShift automated transmission.

Its Heil compactor body, meanwhile, was removed from a previous truck, refurbished and fitted to the Mercedes-Benz chassis by Gloucestershire specialist Refuse Vehicle Solutions. It is capable of lifting trade waste bins with capacities of up to 1,100 litres.

Family-owned Ahern Waste Management & Recycling Services runs a fleet of 22 trucks and works for commercial customers throughout the South-East, although local authorities also tip at the waste transfer stations located on its headquarters site in West Thurrock, and in Basildon.

The operator’s Resources Co-ordinator Tony Anderson confirmed: “The new generation of Mercedes-Benz trucks have been receiving a lot of positive publicity, while the Antos was also recommended by RVS, so we thought we’d give it a go.

“These are still early days, of course, but the mpg returns are very encouraging, and the driver loves his new Mercedes-Benz.

“I’ve taken the wheel myself and it’s a very nice, driver-friendly truck, well laid out and comfortable, with a really good ride. I particularly like the automated transmission, which has a Creep mode but can also be switched off if the driver prefers for low-speed manoeuvring.”

The truck is being inspected and serviced under a seven-year Mercedes-Benz Repair and Maintenance Contract by the workshop team at S & B Commercials’ Thurrock branch. “The Dealer has done everything we’ve asked and appears to be very professional and competent,” added Mr Anderson.

Ahern offers a comprehensive portfolio of recycling, recover and waste management services that can be tailored to meet a customer’s specific requirements. In addition to its waste transfer stations and recycling centres, it also operates materials recovery, energy from waste and composting facilities, and land reclamation/restoration sites.

Launched to coincide with the introduction of Euro VI engine technology, the         Mercedes-Benz Antos range comprises a sweeping array of model variants with gross weights from 18 to 44 tonnes, all featuring responsive, dynamic powertrains, allied to assured driving characteristics, and a reassuring arsenal of standard and optional safety systems.