Tough and smart: Mark Willoughby and his Arocs 3363
Story
New driving feel: Mark Willoughby loves the automatic transmission of his Arocs 3363.
For a keen angler like Mark Willoughby, this fine example of a vehicle is a good catch: the strapping Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3363 tractor unit is perfectly equipped for operations with a gross combination weight of up to 80 tonnes thanks to additional reinforcements.
Mark, who happily relaxes with a spot of carp and pike fishing, works for Tamdown in Essex. The company is a service provider for public authorities and companies working in structural and civil engineering and has made itself a name in the field of development work.
"We drive a lot in London, and there this transmission is like a gift from God."
– Mark Willoughby, Tamdown
The automatic transmission is a winner.
The days that Mark spends behind the wheel just got a little bit easier – his Arocs is the first Mercedes-Benz truck to join the Tamdown fleet. "I love pretty much everything about my truck," says Mark happily. "It drives really easily and comfortably, plus the StreamSpace cab gives me even more space than I will ever need."
But what has impressed Mark the most is Mercedes PowerShift 3. The 16-speed automated transmission has even changed his outlook on the world. "I always used to drive manual trucks and I have to say that I was a bit sceptical when I heard that I was getting an automatic," explains Mark. "Oh how wrong I was. We drive a lot in London, and there, this transmission is like a gift from God. It makes the job so much easier, especially at rush hour."
What's more, Mark's Arocs is also equipped with the optional Safety
package featuring the ground-breaking Active Brake Assist 4 system
with pedestrian detection. The 15.6-litre inline six-cylinder engine
delivers an impressively powerful 460 kW. Despite the enormous power,
things like the EcoRoll function help drastically reduce fuel
consumption. "On average, a gallon of diesel (4.55 litres) now
lasts me around three miles (4.82 kilometres) more than with the
previous vehicle," says Mark.
In search of real challenges.
When Mark started at Tamdown in 1999, he initially worked as a pipe installer before he changed to become a machine operative. As a bearer of a "Class 1" licence, he used the first opportunity to drive for the company. "I'd already done my test a few years prior to that because I thought it might come in useful in an emergency," Mark recalls. "And that's exactly what happened."
The Arocs with its Faymonville low-loader with dual steering rear axle can transport the entire spectrum of construction site machinery – from diggers to tippers, and even crushers and vibrating shakers. Every morning, Mark starts his shifts at Tamdown's HQ in Braintree. And even though the majority of his orders take him to various construction sites within London, east and south-east England, he has also done longer day trips to Wales and back.
The job is hard. "Life could be so easy if we only had to transport small diggers," says Mark, laughing. "In actual fact, we're loading some pretty big monsters here. But I like that. And I've still got plenty of power reserves for some other challenges."
In a class of its own on construction sites.
Although the driving characteristics of the Arocs on the road are excellent, Mark tells us that the truck shows its true strengths on rough terrain. Especially for use on construction sites, the Arocs really impresses with its great ground clearance and Mercedes PowerShift 3 transmission. The crawler function enables excellent manoeuvrability at low speeds. "The ground on some construction sites is really uneven. But the truck has immense ground clearance so, as yet, I haven't had any problems with it," says Mark.
Besides his passion for fishing, Mark is also a big fan of Formula
1. "It's not like football where you only have one favourite
team," explains Mark. "I like several Formula 1 teams to the
same degree. But since having my new Arocs, I tend to look a bit more
precisely at how the legendary Silver Arrows are doing."
Photos: Impact
Comment
Please log in to post a comment.
10 comments
ist verbesserungswürdig. Wenn man beladen fährt überschaltet
der Arocs manchmal 2-3 Gänge und bei nur 430 PS ist das
nicht so der Hit das man teilweise manuell eingreifen muß.
Das muß auch besser gehen. Hatte leider bis jetzt keine Möglichkeit
mal ein Konkurrenzmodell von einen anderen Hersteller zu fahren
wie es da gelöst ist.
ist verbesserungswürdig. Wenn man beladen fährt überschaltet
der Arocs manchmal 2-3 Gänge und bei nur 430 PS ist das
nicht so der Hit das man teilweise manuell eingreifen muß.
Das muß auch besser gehen. Hatte leider bis jetzt keine Möglichkeit
mal ein Konkurrenzmodell von einen anderen Hersteller zu fahren
wie es da gelöst ist.
Gruß
Klaus
Gruß
Klaus