Has anyone driven one, heard opinions etc?
Hadn’t heard of them but the Mercs electrics are crap, wiring to the starter on the '62 Actroses has started corroding through 
3 units out of 1 hub in the last month that I know of.
I did suggest they check the whole lot so they don’t get outfits/driver stranded out on the road and all the costs of getting a mechanic out delayed freight &etc., went down like a lead balloon, after all I’m just a thick driver 
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Company near us had an ex demo one on muckshift , after about a year they had 4 new ones .
I guess they were happy with them ,
I have seen a company down Luton way I think runs them .
My old firm has a couple there happy with them but with merc there dealer network is very patchy some dealers are good others are awful and with any new truck you need a good dealer.
Good on fuel aparently
I work for mercedes benz commercials and they are very good trucks to drive. Mercedes benz do say that the driver should go on one of there course to learn how to drive them as in the past or even now we still get drivers moaning there crap till we show them
devonlad2009:
I work for mercedes benz commercials and they are very good trucks to drive. Mercedes benz do say that the driver should go on one of there course to learn how to drive them as in the past or even now we still get drivers moaning there crap till we show them
I was just about to say how bad they are to drive, I really don’t get on with the gear box, drive it manually most the time. its only a hire truck at my place so to be honest im not in it that often.
I would say I need a course in that case 
They are good to drive once you get the hang of getting the best out of them but the electrics are still made of plasticine and too many glitches in the management systems.
Also have been finding that sticking rigidly to the eco-driving crap as worshipped by TMs causes the EM light to come up, which I discovered this week can be sorted by letting the rig have its head on downhill gradients (when it is safe to do so) and getting the revs up, a run from Glasgow down to M6 J35 does the job 
One of the advantages of being agency scum is I can drive the unit the way it needs to be driven, not as laid down by some deskbound nerd at a keyboard playing computer games
There on the heavy side for a tipper also auto box crap they look the part though 
devonlad2009:
I work for mercedes benz commercials and they are very good trucks to drive. Mercedes benz do say that the driver should go on one of there course to learn how to drive them as in the past or even now we still get drivers moaning there crap till we show them
Well you would say that wouldnt you.
Mind you, i am due a new Merc 6 wheeler at the end of next month so any tips on these new fangled machines would be appreciated.
Probably be an Atego with air con.
The problems with the wiring looms was only with the early mp4 as since then Mercedes benz have modded the loom. The auto gearboxes are brilliant but as said its the mate of how to use them the right way same with a lot of the new Volvos. In the southwest there seems to be more mercs on the road then anyother truck as a lot of companys like the better mpg
devonlad2009:
I work for mercedes benz commercials and they are very good trucks to drive. Mercedes benz do say that the driver should go on one of there course to learn how to drive them as in the past or even now we still get drivers moaning there crap till we show them
And what does this course involve ?
I drive Actros MP4s with Powershift 3 boxes and they’re one of the best auto boxes on the road.
Terry T:
devonlad2009:
I work for mercedes benz commercials and they are very good trucks to drive. Mercedes benz do say that the driver should go on one of there course to learn how to drive them as in the past or even now we still get drivers moaning there crap till we show themAnd what does this course involve ?
I drive Actros MP4s with Powershift 3 boxes and they’re one of the best auto boxes on the road.
“best auto boxes on the road”…
what are they like off road then? the op is asking about tippers (Arocs).
i’ve had a few volvo fmx’s with i-shift ,blinding to drive on the road(undoubtedly the best auto box there is)but they left me stuck several times off road where i know i wouldn’t have got stuck with a manual box.
andrew.s:
Terry T:
devonlad2009:
I work for mercedes benz commercials and they are very good trucks to drive. Mercedes benz do say that the driver should go on one of there course to learn how to drive them as in the past or even now we still get drivers moaning there crap till we show themAnd what does this course involve ?
I drive Actros MP4s with Powershift 3 boxes and they’re one of the best auto boxes on the road.
“best auto boxes on the road”…
what are they like off road then? the op is asking about tippers (Arocs).
i’ve had a few volvo fmx’s with i-shift ,blinding to drive on the road(undoubtedly the best auto box there is)but they left me stuck several times off road where i know i wouldn’t have got stuck with a manual box.
Good lord. I didn’t even see that. I thought it said Actros.
My apologies, I was rather tipsy last night
Terry T:
andrew.s:
Terry T:
devonlad2009:
I work for mercedes benz commercials and they are very good trucks to drive. Mercedes benz do say that the driver should go on one of there course to learn how to drive them as in the past or even now we still get drivers moaning there crap till we show themAnd what does this course involve ?
I drive Actros MP4s with Powershift 3 boxes and they’re one of the best auto boxes on the road.
“best auto boxes on the road”…
what are they like off road then? the op is asking about tippers (Arocs).
i’ve had a few volvo fmx’s with i-shift ,blinding to drive on the road(undoubtedly the best auto box there is)but they left me stuck several times off road where i know i wouldn’t have got stuck with a manual box.Good lord. I didn’t even see that. I thought it said Actros.
My apologies, I was rather tipsy last night
I think the course tells you how to use the gearboxes on different surfaces etc. We have just sold 12 mercs to a big quarry down in cornwall and the Arocs and actros are the same truck just arocs are more of a day
It’d be nice if the manufacturers could make an 8wheeler capable of carrying more than 19t.
With all the emmisions crap and all the comfort we expect now it’s not going to happen.
Our euro 6 fmx tractor is heavier than our euro 3 fh that is plated at 80 ton
Muckaway:
Has anyone driven one, heard opinions etc?
There was a feature in Trucking a few months ago where they interviewed a female tipper driver from the 70s and early 80s known from CB radio as Speedy Lady (can’t remember her real name), and she really liked the Arocs (she’d been out of the business for years for health reasons so must have last driven a really tough old British truck). She said it seemed like it was designed by and for drivers. I’ve driven an Axor tipper and it sucked.
Muckaway:
It’d be nice if the manufacturers could make an 8wheeler capable of carrying more than 19t.
I think those days are gone now…if you want a 20 tonne payload you need an artic.
Alternatively…a carbon-fibre cab and body and cast aluminium chassis frame beams?
Don’t laugh…there are prototypes for all those, but probably too expensive and untried to ever attract customers.
Or we could go back to British trucks with cabs made from plastic and wood 
GasGas:
Muckaway:
It’d be nice if the manufacturers could make an 8wheeler capable of carrying more than 19t.I think those days are gone now…if you want a 20 tonne payload you need an artic.
It’s not a massive issue for my boss as we supply by the load, even when loading from a quarry as we quote by the maximum the lorries can carry.