Victorian Freight Specialists has commemorated one of the company founders with its latest mobile asset.
A special Mercedes-Benz Actros 2663 dedicated to John Rowe, whose name appears on the custom livery, is now operational in the Dandenong-based fleet.
It marks the tenth Actros introduced into operations by VFS.
VFS bought one of the very first new generation Actros trucks in 2016 and immediately recorded fuel savings worth tens of thousands of dollars a year according to a release issued by Daimler.
VFS Operations Director, Chris Collins, said the company had been very pleased with the performance of the Actros trucks it has steadily added to its fleet, as well as the support from Whitehorse Truck Centre and salesman, Mitchell Hynd.
“We ran a lot of tests in the early days and there was just nothing that could compete with it and that’s still the case today,” he said.
VFS continues to focus on fuel economy and gives all its new drivers comprehensive driver training, using knowledge passed on from Mercedes-Benz truck driver trainers in order to get the best possible performance and economy out of the trucks. It also monitors a lot of data to keep driving down fuel consumption.
“Everything helps and it’s all about the little details,” said Collins.
“The truck comes with so much of the safety features already, which is really reassuring for our business,” he said.
“We want to operate the safest equipment possible as part of our commitment to our drivers, depot staff, customers and members of the public.”
VFS also goes a step further and integrates a range of cameras, which help demonstrate what is happening in the event of an incident.
High-resolution Multimedia Cockpit tablet screens, which come standard with Actros, and high levels of comfort and refinement are all appreciated by the drivers.
The 2663 features a 16-litre six-cylinder Euro VI engine with 625hp and 3000Nm of torque, which is teamed with a 12-speed fully automated transmission.
Mercedes-Benz was the first manufacturer to introduce Euro VI emission ratings for all its models in 2016, something that more and more customers are demanding from operators.
VFS, the subject of Prime Mover‘s August cover story Call of Duty, was established in 1998 by experienced transport experts John Rowe and Roland Neef.
It has grown steadily and currently employs around 170 people directly, plus more than 200 sub-contractors and services Victoria, Southern NSW, Mt Gambier in South Australia and the ACT.