New Arocs rocks up at A1 Plant & Haulage

York-based A1 Plant & Haulage has added another new Mercedes-Benz Arocs to its fleet.

Mercs make up the bulk of the company’s eight-strong line-up and director Stuart Handley has bagged the new Arocs to drive himself.

A1 Plant & Haulage was established in 1973 by Handley’s grandfather, Roy. Today the company provides tipper and tipper/grab haulage and hire services, with vehicles – which still wear the original colours – available from 18 to 32 tonnes GVW.

It also provides a range of aggregate products from its construction rubble recycling plant.

Supplied by dealer BLS Truck & Van, the new Arocs 3246 has a ClassicSpace S-Cab, decked out with a colour-coded bumper and mudguards, protective headlamp grilles, air horns and light bar.

The 320 mm engine tunnel allows the driver’s seat to be set lower than higher-riding variants, which means fewer steps are required for entry and exit.

Power comes from the top-rated 455 bhp version of Merc’s 10.7-litre in-line six-cylinder engine.

The chassis is fitted with a robust Governor all-steel tipping body by L Townend of Holmfirth, with Harsh underfloor tipping gear.

It also has a Palfinger Epsilon M125 crane arm with Kinshofer clamshell grab installed behind the cab by TH White of Devizes.

“We’ve been very well served by the Arocs tippers we already run,” Handley said. “They don’t give us any problems and have been noticeably more reliable than vehicles we’ve tried from rival brands.

“They’re popular with our drivers too, and I can see why. The cabs are extremely well designed and comfortable.”

“[The Arocs] is extremely robust and ideally suited to our kind of work, and great to drive too,” Handley added. “Eight-wheelers often tend to sway a bit, but the Arocs is really well planted, very steady when cornering and feels totally secure both off-road and on the tarmac.

“The auto gearbox is smooth and effective. Overall it’s an excellent package and looks smart in our historic livery,” he concluded.