Old hand, new technology: Reiner Kramp and his new Actros 1858
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In fact, he had wanted to stop driving, but then Reiner Kramp got one of the first new Actros in Europe.
They need to look the part on the outside. The Defru trucks always leave the yard freshly washed.
On the road to Bottrop: Reiner picks up his cargo from the warehouse for his drive to Bavaria.
The Multimedia Cockpit is one of over 60 innovations in the new Actros.
Reiner Kramp’s next stop is the car wash at the Defru site in the north of Duisburg. The yellow Actros trucks of Defru Logistik GmbH are on the road serving the food industry and other sectors, so the trucks need to look the part on the outside.
“This is very important for us,” says Reiner, who has been working for the Ruhr-based company for 30 years. His truck is a brand-new Actros 1858. He is the first person at Defru to drive the flagship Mercedes-Benz long-haul truck.
As the haulage company celebrated its 40th anniversary last year and Reiner is its longest-serving driver, Defru managing director Klaus Demgen and fleet manager Hendrik Müller presented him with something exclusive in the form of the 1858.
“With the new Actros, I could go on driving for a few more years.”
– Reiner Kramp
Exclusive with 428 kW.
Reiner shuts the driver’s door and puts on his seatbelt. With his right index finger, he presses the engine start-stop button. “I actually wanted to retire from driving this year. But with this truck, I’d like to keep going. Retirement can wait,” says the 63-year-old. He greets his colleague on the ramp, then rolls the truck towards the exit.
Plant logistics.
Defru Logistik was impressed by the assistance systems in the new Actros, such as Active Drive Assist, as well as the improved visibility for drivers thanks to MirrorCam MirrorCam. Hendrik Müller: “We always want to have the latest safety systems and, of course, to provide our drivers with the best tools for their stressful job. They should have the highest level of comfort in their trucks. The new features such as the Multimedia Cockpit help with this.” A total of 110 of the 120 trucks in Defru’s fleet are made by Mercedes-Benz. A truck has an average lifespan of four years in the fleet and covers around 150,000 kilometres per year.
“We always want to have the latest safety systems and, of course, to provide our drivers with the best tools for their stressful job.”
– Fleet manager Hendrik Müller
Reiner and his Actros are generally on the road for plant logistics for the company. From a central warehouse in Bottrop, the Defru trucks deliver plants to DIY stores throughout Germany. The distribution centre is located just ten kilometres from the company’s headquarters in Duisburg. Deliveries are carried out year-round, with springtime being a particularly busy time. “I can’t take holidays at that time of year,” Reiner says. “Things are really busy then.”
He has now arrived in the yard of the warehouse. His journey will begin later today, taking him to Bavaria. After he unloads his cargo there, he will be able to relax in the GigaSpace cab. He is already looking forward to it: the sound system, the ambient lighting and the comfortable seat from the SoloStar Concept on which he can relax before going to sleep ... it’s almost like being at home. He looks at his truck and immediately says: “With the new Actros, I could go on driving for a few more years.”
Photos: Michael Neuhaus
Video: Martin Schneider-Lau
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12 comments
Daran merkt man doch, wer Spass an seinem Job und seinem Truck hat.
Super.
Allzeit gute Fahrt.
Gruß, Jürgen.
Daran merkt man doch, wer Spass an seinem Job und seinem Truck hat.
Super.
Allzeit gute Fahrt.
Gruß, Jürgen.
Gruss Andreas
Gruss Andreas