Welsh haulier happy with new Mercedes for London run
publication date: Dec 15, 2008
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| Outstanding fuel economy coupled with an automated transmission that allows his driver to concentrate fully on the road ahead while negotiating London’s congested streets, means South Wales haulier Chris Bird has been flying high since taking delivery of his new 10-tonne Mercedes.
Mr Bird, who trades as CJ Bird Transport, of Coed Ely, near Llantrisant, bought the Atego 1024L from Cardiff dealer Euro Commercials. The truck is powered by a BlueTec Euro 5 engine which is mated to an Autotrans automated transmission, while its Specbody Products box body wears the livery of luxury brand Crabtree & Evelyn. The upmarket toiletries retailer has a national distribution centre in South Wales, and CJ Bird won a contract last year to distribute its products to 37 stores nationwide. Nearly half of those outlets are in London and the new Atego ventures into the heart of the capital every second day. | ||
 | “My driver is also very happy with his new truck, and
particularly the two-pedal set-up. "This makes life a great deal easier – and safer – when traffic is heavy because instead of having to worry about which gear you’re in, you can focus fully on what’s going on around you.” “That little truck is a really nice piece of kit,” enthuses Mr Bird. “It’s always fully freighted on the way out but returns upwards of 16mpg which, given the nature of the work, is a figure that I’m delighted with. | |
Founded in 1991 with a single 7.5-tonne Mercedes 814, CJ Bird employs a mixed-marque fleet of 28 trucks of various sizes up to 44-tonne tractor units to provide a comprehensive range of domestic and European transport and distribution services to customers across a wide range of sectors, but particularly food packaging, automotive parts, aerospace and print. “I started with a Mercedes and because they’ve always proved extremely reliable, with good parts back-up, have never been without once since,” confirms Mr Bird. “Indeed, the new Atego has taken over from a 13-tonne Mercedes 1317 which is now 13 years old and has 1.5 million km on the clock. That vehicle has a Euro 1 engine so it can’t operate in London anymore, but it’s still going strong.” | ||