Test engineer Dirk Stranz on the road in the International Truck of the Year 2020

Dirk Stranz is very matter-of-fact when it comes to trucks. “We make the vehicles that transport goods – and they have to be able to do that both safely and efficiently,” says the test engineer from Mercedes‑Benz Trucks as he walks down the staircase from his office in the Wörth development and testing centre into the foyer. “But the Actros Edition 1 in the ’Truck Of The Year’ design is a truck which stands out from the crowd.”

Dirk Stranz and his colleagues made a significant contribution to the result. Many of the innovations which are characteristic of today's Mercedes-Benz Actros model series were tested by the test engineer before being launched on the market.

Stranz is now standing in the entrance hall of the development and testing centre which is located close to the Mercedes-Benz Wörth plant. The top-of-the-range model parked in front of him was voted International Truck of the Year 2020. Dirk Stranz is particularly familiar with this Mercedes-Benz Actros parked here in the foyer. He and one of his colleagues drove the silver-grey flagship to the awards ceremony in Lyon. “It's a truck which truly impresses its drivers.” He taps the ’Truck Of The Year 2020’ logo which adorns the radiator grille of the Actros 1863 Edition 1. His smile says it all! He too is a huge fan of this truck.

Just 400 units of the Edition 1 model rolled off the production line in Wörth. “If I spot one of them while I'm driving on the motorway, I recognise it immediately. The main-beam headlamps in the sun visor or the stainless steel trim strips – even though they are just small details: not one truck gets past without me noticing it.”

“It's like being in an S-Class.”

Inside the vehicle, the truck also sets itself apart from the competition. His favourite features on the Edition 1? Stranz, who is now sitting in the driver’s seat, smiles and passes his hand over the leather-clad instrument panel. “It’s like being in an S-Class,” he says. “But there was one thing that was clear to us during the development and equipment of the truck: the Edition 1 isn’t just a looker, its primary task is fulfilling its duties diligently.”

Stranz knows several logistics firms which have the special model with the highest engine output in their fleet. “Within those companies, the trucks sometimes get used for special tasks. For example, if a transport task involves driving daily on the A7 via the hilly Kasseler Berge stretch with a fully-laden truck, then it would certainly be a good place to use all of the truck’s 460-kW output. After all, the Edition 1 trucks have to earn money just like any other truck.” Stranz knows that the special models often stay with a company for a long time. “I even know companies which collect the Edition models.” Irrespective of this, the truck doesn’t just impress its drivers, it also makes them proud to be behind the wheel. “The vehicle is a mobile business card for the company. And if a fleet manager assigns a driver to this truck, it’s a sign of respect and trust towards that driver.”

– Dirk Stranz, test engineer at Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

Since 2012, the test engineer has had the occasion to put the system prototypes through their paces. Apart from in the development and testing centre in Wörth, he was also behind the wheel for a good many trips on Europe's motorways and city traffic, as well as being part of the team that tested the vehicles in Spain and at the Polar Circle, not to mention in various light conditions and rain. In the meantime he's driven countless times through nearby Karlsruhe with people not involved in the industry to observe their reactions to the system. “You test in all possible conditions. Once, we spent weeks waiting for some real fog. We put a lot of our heart and soul into the testing.” And if it wasn't already, it should now be very clear that truck development is more than just a job for Dirk Stranz.

Photos: Daimler Truck AG