Franz Hartl transports fermentation residues in his Actros

Franz Hartl was initially sceptical. The fact that he was due a new truck was pretty clear, but did it really have to be a Mercedes? A few months on and things look a lot different. Franz Hartl's beaming smile says it all. The driver from Upper Austria is happy for a number of reasons: firstly because of the choice of brand made by the company's boss, Jürgen Humer, then of course because he loves his job as a driver for the Zellinger from Mühlviertel, Austria, and last but by no means least because he's currently on the road in a very special vehicle: a brand new Actros 1848. Imagine that!

Driving at walking pace, Franz Hartl steers the truck into the immense cow shed on a farm near St. Peter am Wimberg. The Actros drives along the feeding alley which resembles a road. To its left and right, milk cows push their heads through the bars. They've never seen anything quite like this before: right in the middle of the farm, there it is, the flagship truck of the brand with the three-pointed star. And Franz Hartl is captaining it from within the cab.

Normally, Franz Hartl would pump his cargo into the 550-cubic-metre slurry tank outside the shed. "But what's most important is that the customer is happy," he says. And the driver? "At first, I was really very sceptical towards the Actros, but then it was like love at first sight. Already when I saw the truck for the first time, I was taken aback. When I got behind the wheel and drove a few miles in it, I was flabbergasted."

What was it that really convinced him? "The whole package," says Franz Hartl. "The Actros doesn't have any weaknesses: great workmanship, high ride comfort and impressive technology are all on-board. I can't fault it." What's particularly good about it? "The HAD system has also already impressed me. It gives me the advantages of an all-wheel-drive vehicle, without the associated disadvantages." The Hydraulic Auxiliary Drive is a selectable starting-off aid, which can provide additional tractive support whenever the driven axles threaten to lose grip. To formulate it in Franz Hartl's words: "It means I don't get left standing waiting for a tractor to come and tow me out of trouble."

Managing Director Jürgen Humer is also full of praise for the new arrival in his fleet: "Everything is spot-on – even from a business point of view. We're happy all round with it." Originally he didn't even want to buy a new tractor unit, preferring instead just a used trailer. "But the more we looked at the vehicle and its possibilities, the easier it was to make our decision. At the end of the day, the Actros has made us more flexible in our fleet planning. Where required, we just uncouple one trailer and couple up the next one, and then we're ready to tackle another field of our operations," says Jürgen Humer.

In the waste disposal industry, Zellinger GmbH is seen as a pioneer in the Upper Austria region. Also included in the broad range of services they offer are sludge dewatering, dredging, container rentals and general transport tasks. "Using our tanker, walking floor, tipper and palette semitrailers, we can be very flexible," explains Jürgen Humer. "What's more, due to our requirement to drive longer distances on motorways, it was also a massive bonus that the Actros is equipped ready for the Euro VI norm."

Here in the shed, the efficiency of the Actros drive system is a secondary issue. Spring is when fertilizing is carried out, and what matters then is the fermentation residue – the farmer could do with a few thousand litres more of it. "As soon as it runs out, you can pretty much set back out with the next delivery," says Franz Hartl in his broad Upper Austrian accent. Fine by him – there's nothing he likes doing more. Together with his Mercedes. Imagine that!

Photos: Bubu Dujmic