The Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in Northern Ireland has purchased nine Mercedes-Benz Econic 2630 L refuse collection vehicles to collect household waste and organic recyclables in the Ballymena, Carrickfergus, and Larne areas. It was the first fleet update by the Council, which was formed in 2015 as three local authority areas combined.
“Some of the older trucks we had on the fleet were rather long in the tooth but these Mercedes-Benz trucks will bring a range of benefits,” says the Council’s Waste Operations Manager, Neil Patrick. “I know from experience of having operated Econics in the past that they are extremely reliable, while the design of the cab means they offer excellent levels of comfort, ease of use, and safety for our crews and other road users. As well as being reliable and safe, the fact that they have replaced older vehicles which did not meet the latest emissions standards means they are also contributing to our efforts to minimise the effect of our operations on the local environment.”
Equipped To Serve
The Council’s Econic 2630 L trucks came from Newtownabbey-based specialist municipal provider RD Mechanical Services and dealer MBNI Truck & Van. They have 6x2 chassis with electrohydraulic rear-steer axles, Dennis compactor bodies, and Terberg lifters. Each truck has a 299-horsepower (220-kilowatt) engine, a six-speed Allison automatic transmission, air conditioning, and a low-entry cab.
The Council also specified the Econics line’s optional Sideguard Assist system. This safety measure uses radar sensors on the passenger side of the truck to detect pedestrians and cyclists during turns or lane changes. Sideguard Assist alerts the driver visually and audibly when there’s someone alongside. “The system is absolutely essential when operating in narrow streets which are often lined with parked cars,” says Patrick.
Mercedes-Benz Econic Trucks
The versatile Econic platform is highly configurable, with four axle variants ranging from 18 to 32 tonnes in gross weight. It comes in low and high cab versions with wheelbases of 3,450 to 5,700 millimetres. Either the leading or the trailing axles can be steerable. Each axle has a full air suspension that is adjustable for height.
Mercedes-Benz outfits the Econic line with 7.7-litre, inline six-cylinder engines. Diesel-burning models range from 272 to 354 horsepower (200 to 260 kilowatts). An alternative that runs on natural gas or biogas produces 302 horsepower (225 kilowatts) and comes with a low 80 dB(A) noise rating. Besides the Allison automatic mentioned above, Mercedes also offers the Econic with a semi-automated PowerShift transmission with 12 forward and four reverse gears.
Find The Right Truck
Online marketplace Truck Locator offers hundreds of new and used Mercedes-Benz trucks for sale every day, including dozens of Econic models.