Mercedes-Benz has strengthened its grip on the fleet of chilled distribution specialist Culina, after clinching an order for 83 Actros tractor units together worth more than £5.5 million.
The 6x2 trucks are all the subject of three-year deals with contract hire and fleet management specialist Contract Vehicles Ltd (CVL), a sister company of supplying dealer Enza. They are all due to enter service by the end of February, 2006.
The line-up includes 18 Actros 2544s, which have 440bhp engines and top-of-the-range, flat-floored MegaSpace cabs, and will be based at Culina's main UK distribution centre in Market Drayton. Sixteen of these units replace previous Actros that have reached the end of their CVL contracts; the other two represent extensions to the fleet.
The remainder of the new trucks, though, are 460bhp Actros 2546 Long Distance models. Most of these will work out of Milton Keynes, where Hanbury Davies acts as a dedicated sub-contractor to Culina - this depot has been running Scania tractors.
Owned by the German Muller Dairy concern, Culina's UK business has grown tenfold since it began operations a decade ago. Specialising in the 0-5°C chilled sector, it still carries 24 million pots of yoghurt for its parent company every week. However, its success has been largely based on offering innovative, high-tech solutions to other food and drink manufacturers requiring temperature controlled distribution.
Page 2Nor does Culina's growth show any signs of slowing; 20 of its new Actros 2546s will operate from Prime Point, a 175,000sq ft chilled facility dedicated to third-party shared user distribution, off Junction 14 of the M6, at Stafford, which it is scheduled to open in the New Year at a cost of some £4.5 million.
Its latest order means that all but 15 of the trucks on Culina's 135-strong fleet now wear the three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz. The company's trucks average 115,000 miles per year and are replaced on a three-yearly basis.
Speaking shortly before his much-publicised departure to pursue other business opportunities, Thomas van Mourik, Culina Group Chief Executive Officer, said: The Mercedes-Benz Actros is a quality vehicle that gives us excellent fuel consumption of between 9.5 and 10mpg, as well as being very popular with our drivers.
We are very happy, too, with CVL, who also supply most of our refrigerated trailers. Their rates are competitive and their service levels very high. It's a 'one-stop shop' arrangement that suits us well.
Unsurprisingly, Culina's renowned commitment to innovation also extends to its vehicles. The company is an established user of the Mercedes-Benz FleetBoard logistics and telematics system on the Continent and is now implementing the technology for UK operation.
On tyres, too, Goodyear user Culina is unusual in fitting wide singles - 385/65R22.5s - in a purpose-designed steer axle tread pattern to its tractor front axles. As David Barker, the company's Fleet Supervisor, explains: We find the overall performance is better than a more conventional 295/80.
Page 3Probably of greater importance, though, is the fact that our drivers rate the bigger tyres as being much superior in their qualities of steering, stability and braking.
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