Selected to underline the corporation’s commitment to reducing accidents involving vulnerable road users, the new 8x4 Econic tipper-grab is in the livery of its Bow-based fleet contractor JB Riney, which was the first operator to place an order for the vehicle with dealer S&B Commercials.
Mercedes’ Econic was chosen for its panoramic windscreen, fully-glazed kerbside door and low driver seating position – together delivering revolutionary visibility, compared to conventional construction chassis cabs.
It was specified with a single front steer axle, a double-drive bogie and a rear-steer to revolutionise manoeuvrability, certainly compared to a standard 32-tonne construction eight-wheeler.
The truck runs on runs on full air suspension, and is powered by a fuel-efficient, 354bhp 7.7-litre six-cylinder driving through a six-speed Allison fully-automatic gearbox.
It has been fitted with a Charlton steel tipping body and Palfinger Epsilon M135L radio remote-controlled truck-mounted crane with clamshell bucket.
The new vehicle was revealed at the Aldgate Gyratory, an area now the subject of a major development project designed, among other things, with new cycling routes and pedestrian cross points.
“We take the issue of road safety incredibly seriously and I am delighted that we have adopted this new, high-visibility tipper,” states Michael Welbank, chairman of the planning and transportation committee at the City of London Corporation.
“Anything which improves the field of vision for a lorry driver, so they can better see vulnerable road users, is a welcome step forward,” he explains.
“I really like the concept,” adds City of London business improvement and performance manager Vince Dignam, who encouraged JB Riney to commission the new vehicle.
“We are committed supporters of the CLOCS (Construction Logistics and Cyclist Safety) and FORS (Freight Operator Recognition Scheme) initiatives, and this vehicle is definitely setting new standards.”
And Barry Parker, transport and vehicle purchase manager at JB Riney, says the truck is looking good: “It’s a beautiful piece of equipment: the rear-steer system being particularly impressive.”
The new Mercedes-Benz Econic tipper-grab is being assigned to the Aldgate scheme until late summer, carrying spoil back to JB Riney’s transfer yard, from where it is sent for recycling, while also delivering materials such as sand, concrete and paving slabs.