Lucky seven for Gwynedd

26th February 2007, 0:04

Gwynedd Transport, the road haulage division of the Gwynedd Shipping Group, is running its first Mercedes trucks – and they’ve been quick to impress.

Supplied by Enza, Warrington, the seven Actros 2546s have joined a 39-strong fleet of tractor units, which is dominated by a Swedish brand.

Six of the Actros have range-topping, flat-floored MegaSpace cabs – the other has the Long Distance version.

Gwynedd Transport Managing Director Mark Cunnew says: “Our fleet has been dominated by one marque for the past six or seven years. But we wanted to put another brand in to compare in terms of fuel economy, reliability, service back-up and, no less important, driver acceptance.

“A lot of our drivers viewed the Mercedes with some scepticism, but they’ve been very impressed. The comfort of the Actros, especially the MegaSpace version, has drawn some positive comments, and so has the strong torque of the 460hp engines.”

He continues: “Of course, we also have to be satisfied that the trucks will give us the reliability that we need and be cost-effective to operate.

“These are early days but the Actros seem very well put together and their fuel returns are already looking quite respectable.”

The new Mercedes are the subject of a three-year contract-hire deal with Riverside Truck Rental. Mr Cunnew adds: “It’s a very flexible package and the rates are highly competitive.”

Gwynedd Transport is a stand-alone business but supports all of Gwynedd Shipping’s volumes, moving an average of 2,500 truck-loads per month between the UK and Ireland. These can include anything from empty cans to
21-metre steel girders.

The company has depots in Holyhead, Birkenhead, Mostyn, Dublin and Belfast, as well as administrative offices in Stoke-on-Trent. It employs 60 people, 10 of whom work in its trailer repair and refurbishment workshop at Holyhead. Gwynedd Shipping employs a total workforce of more than 90 people.

http://www.gwyneddshipping.co.uk/