Custom Glass, a double-glazed glass manufacturer based in Liverpool, recently made its first order from newly-established Mercedes-Benz dealer eStar Truck & Van consisting of six 7.5-tonne (8.3-U.S.-ton) Atego 816s, all of which have already been delivered. Each truck features a ClassicSpace S-Cab and a 5.1-litre, 154-horsepower (115-kilowatt) engine.
Four of the six are replacement vehicles for similar Ategos that were taken out of operation after many years of service, with one of the four having covered more than 600,000 kilometres (372,823 miles) in its time with Custom Glass. The other two are expansion units that bring the firm’s Atego fleet up to 16 trucks. The company also operates a 44-t (48.5-U.S.-t) Actros and a number of Sprinter vans.
Backed By Experience
The order wasn’t necessarily a sure thing until Chairman Sid Sadique visited Custom Glass in person, bringing with him many years of experience in the industry. Sadique and his dealer network also have locations in Wavertree in Liverpool as well as in Deeside, Stoke-on-Trent, Trafford Park, and Warrington.
After a meeting between himself, Sadique, and Sales Executive Richie Rainford, Custom Glass MD Jeff Hooson says he had “no hesitation in committing to the order,” largely based on his previous experience working with Rainford as well as Sadique’s pitch for the future direction of eStar Truck & Van.
It doesn’t hurt that eStar recently hired industry veterans Steve Bridge and Chris Taylor as its managing director and operations director, respectively. Both have extensive experience with the Mercedes-Benz brand.
Keeping Up With Demand
Custom Glass has ramped up its facilities to full production following a large fire, which is a primary reason why it needs the new trucks. The company produces as many as 2,500 double-glazed panes of glass per day and will rely on the Ategos to distribute them with the help of custom box bodies from Truckcraft Bodies of Stalybridge. The bodies feature special glass-carrying frails that keep the product safe during transport.
“The fact that our trucks have bespoke bodies means that if one breaks down it’s very difficult to hire or buy a replacement at short notice,” Hooson says. “That’s why we’ve come to depend on the Atego, which leads the field in terms of reliability and longevity. eStar’s Richie Rainford also understands our business well and has always delivered our vehicles on time and in perfect condition. Meanwhile, I’ve received the assurances I needed that the dealer’s service team will do their very best to get our trucks into the workshop for routine maintenance through the night or at weekends, so downtime should never be an issue.”
You will find hundreds of new and used Mercedes-Benz trucks for sale on Truck Locator, including a large selection of Actros, Arocs, Atego, Axor, Econic, and Sprinter models.
Source: Mercedes-Benz