Commercial Motor kicks-off a new series of cab tests that
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
focus directly on products from individual truck manufacturers. First up is Mercedes-Benz with its Axor and Actros
Words: George Barrow and Kevin Swallow / Images: Tom Lee
In a break from the traditional CM cab test (which will return in 2012), we are introducing a new series of tests to compare and contrast different cabs from the same truck maker.
Manufacturers build tractors for two distinct markets. First, there’s the mass volume/leet spec/shopping trolley lorry, which tends to be worked hard and double-shifted. As a general rule, the drivers on such leets carry out frequent trailer swaps and return to base most nights. Then, there’s the lagship tractor, which is more likely to travel longer distances, and have a dedicated driver, who will have frequent nights out. Clearly these two jobs require very different equipment.
CM acknowledges there are a few urban myths in the two categories and it doesn’t take into account weightconscious operations with long journeys to make, or savvy operators that aren’t willing to risk higher front-end costs.
Mercedes-Benz is irst up for test, loaning us an Axor and an Actros to assess, measure, count and, of course, sleep in.
So, armed with clipboards, pens, tape-measures, noise meters and sleeping bags (well, actually MusucBag – go to www.musucbag.com), we headed to Newport Pagnell motorway services on the M1. ■ Launched in 2003 as a simple, mass-market truck, Mercedes-Benz made a lot of friends with its Axor range. Replacing a technically advanced truck with one that fleet engineers were familiar with proved to be a stroke of genius.
Axor’s cab floor height is 1,420mm, and you access it via three steps. Once inside the cab, the driver is faced with an uncomplicated interior, which, dare we say, verges on the Spartan?
The optional high-roof version of the Axor has two internal heights: 1,900mm from the passenger’s footwell and 1,320mm above the engine cover.
Cross-cab access is seriously curtailed by the engine cover, but unless the driver wants to spend their evening pacing around the cab fretting over the Daily Mail’s latest headline, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Any dressing takes place stood in the passenger’s footwell, and after successfully donning the MusucBag, it was time to choose a bunk for the night. We opted for the lower one, which although narrower than upstairs, has a perfectly comfortable mattress. It also has a decent amount of headroom once the upper bunk is stowed.
The control panel is situated on the back wall behind the passenger seat, so if you need a quick blast from the night-heater, it’s well within arm’s reach.
If the truck is used for single occupancy, it might be worth removing the upper bunk and assessing the options to see what sort of storage and electrical appliances can fit in the space.
With both 12/24V available, quality in-cab entertainment is definitely possibility.
The external locker might struggle to fit much beyond wet weather gear, boots, number plates, gloves and a toolkit, but the internal storage (mainly above the windscreen and a pull-out coolbox under the bunk) should adequately store all the supplies (clothes, wash gear, paperwork) a driver needs for a week away, without cramming compartments to overflowing.
CM would recommend the optional lockable box, if only to delay would-be intruders from reaching its contents.
The cab does exactly what it’s designed to deliver – a solid working environment.