Nightmare senario greeted me this morning,Had To drive an artic furniture display van from Belfast to Cavan S.Ireland.Hitched up to the van was a Merc 1834 with an EPS box,never used one before and nobody in the yard had a clue!!! Luckily the thing wouldn’t start so the breakdown service from a well know Merc dealer was called,Guy who got her started says “I hate those boxes,but you just preselect your gears and you’ll be alright” Wrong!!! 
It took me all the way to Armagh to realise that you have to wait for the “click” going up or down the box,so anybody who saw a slow moving vehicle getting neutral quite alot on the westlink around 9.30am this morning,HELLO 
Must say though once I got used to it and got back to Belfast I quite liked the box in a strange sort of way 
Again, as per the ERF EC Series thread, no they’re not a nightmare, people just need to be taught how to use them. Firms just throw the driver the keys and expect them to get on with it, no wonder non conventional gearboxes get a bad rep!
I used to love the EPS box. I think it’s one of the best and easiest boxes available, (once you get used to it)
My local training school has a Merc rigid with an EPS box that they use for training. I keep wondering if I should ask them for a run round in it to get to learn it.
I had an SK Merc 1635 with an EPS box in it for about a year at one time.
Fine box when you get used to it’s little foibles but don’t spill your coffee over the “stick” though, 'cos apparently all the electronics throw their teddies out the pram and it costs a good few quid to put right 
EPS foibles 
…like always going down 1 gear too many and sceaming up into the yellow band. got to change early or do a manual half shift upwards before dropping the clutch. And of course you just can’t rush the blessed thing, it seems to take forever to change, probably doesn’t but with no stick to move it sure does seem like it.
Yep, i love it, i was shown by a driver how to use it, and picked it up straight away!
Wiretwister:
EPS foibles
This usually happens when the auto exhaust brake in on, it thinks its on a downhill desent so selects the lowest gear possible, if you don’t need it, knock it off. After slowing to a lower speed in a high gear, pull the T lever back then forward before dipping the clutch, the correct gear will be selected giving about 1100-1300 rpm ready to pull away.
It does’nt have foibles, its just misunderstood.
Manwell:
… After slowing to a lower speed in a high gear, pull the T lever back then forward before dipping the clutch, the correct gear will be selected giving about 1100-1300 rpm ready to pull away.
It does’nt have foibles, its just misunderstood.
Seems like different routes to the same destination Manwell, but thanks anyway. Going to try that “no foibles just missunderstood” line with my wife see if it works with her.
The first time I used an EPS, I got a driver to take me for a quick trip round the block first. After that, once I had a good idea how too get going, it was trial n error. It took me a while, but after the first hour or so I got on OK with it. I was an agency driver and so spent a fair bit of time on EPS boxes after that. Although they weren’t a bad box, I never really liked them. No real reason for my dislike, I just didn’t like them.
On the other hand, I got experience with the eaton 12 (and 15) speed twin-splitter box in much the same way and loved them. A reasonably well set-up twin-splitter is (IMHO) the best gearbox going. I drove an ERF EC14 340 6x2, hauling steel, for two and a half years and it would always tell you when you were getting tired, (I’ll name that tune in 1 ).
My company runs nearly all Merc Actrosses. They put all new drivers through a training course and trust me, you don’t drive them anything like you think you should.
Brief summary of how to drive an Actros PROPERLY as taught by Mercedes.
Set off in 2nd. Release clutch and don’t apply throttle till its moving. Take it to 1800 RPM then Change up to 4th. Back up to 1800 RPM then change to 6th on newer Actros or 5th High on older Actros so that needle drops down to around 1100RPM then go up to top of green, change a full gear etc.
When changing gear, don’t release clutch until the selector clicks. If you release the clutch and it gives a rapid set of clicks, select a lower gear.
There’s no point going above 1800 RPM. Maximum torque is at 1100RPM, maximum power is at 1800 RPM. If you can go uphill and the engine revs don’t drop below 1100 RPM then there is no need to change gear. These engines are luggers. They’ll pull uphill all day at the bottom end of the green band.
6th gear is good for 7-30 MPH so use it for roundabouts, turning corners etc.
When going down hills and controlling speed, change down until the rev counter is a couple fo hundred RPM below the redline. It’ll hold alot of weight on a hill. You may need to change 2 or more full gears down to do this. The engine will sound like its screaming its nuts off but thats how its supopsed to work.
Hope this helps some people.