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The Czech transport company VCHD Cargo has acquired new Mercedes-Benz Actros vehicles. This 5^thgeneration truck, the winner of the prestigious Truck of the Year 2020 award, offers a digital interface between the vehicle and the driver, partial autonomous driving mode and state-of-the-art safety features. VCHD Cargo has invested over EUR 500 000 in the new vehicles and plans to buy another 15 trucks of the same brand before the end of this year.

The VCHD Cargo fleet currently includes 160 trucks of various brands, all of which meet the EUR 6 standard and have an average age of 3.3 years. The company recently acquired three Mercedes-Benz Actros 2548 L6x2. The configuration selected by the company has a 3-axle chassis with driven middle axle and a lift axle in the rear. The vehicle has a 12.8-litre stroke engine with 350 kW power and 2.300 Nm torque. VCHD Cargo plans to use these vehicles with swap bodies on its regular international routes.

“We decided to invest in this new generation of vehicles after careful deliberation and evaluation of all options available in the market,” says VCHD Cargo a. s. Board Chairman Ing. Petr Kozel adding that “these models convinced us by their sophisticated technologies, especially those that increase safety and driver comfort. We were especially attracted by modern solutions that help our drivers do their job such as a generous cabin for long-distance hauls.” Unlike other trucks in the VCHD Cargo fleet, the new Actros does not have rear-view mirrors but rather a MirrorCam system – cameras located on the vehicle’s exterior transmit the image to screens in the driver’s cabin. The system gives the driver a better view of the situation around his vehicle while improving the truck’s aerodynamic properties.

The Actros also comes with a groundbreaking dashboard that no longer includes traditional gauge indicators and controls but has instead of two integrated tablets that show all crucial information such as speed, rotational speed, heating and ventilation, all of which can also be displayed on a mobile phone. The tablets can also be used to download updates and applications from Mercedes-Benz or other providers. The flat-floor L BigSpace cabin offers a range of functions that increase the driver’s comfort and driving safety – comfortable, air-suspension and heated seats, multifunctional steering wheel, rain and light sensor, predictive cruise control, traffic sign assistant and independent air-conditioning. “An additional bonus should be lower fuel consumption thanks to the predictive cruise control function and better aerodynamics,” Petr Kozel explains.

VCHD Cargo has so far acquired three Mercedes-Benz Actros vehicles. Before the end of this year, the company’s fleet should increase by another 30 new trucks from Mercedes-Benz and, most probably, Scania and Volvo. VCHD Cargo has already bought 13 new vehicles this year.

Protecting our drivers – protecting us all 

VCHD Cargo has announced its COVID-19 measures. For nearly two months already, the company has been taking active steps to protect the health of its employees, especially its drivers, at the time of the current coronavirus pandemic, investing more than 10.000 EUR in safety measures.

“I think this unprecedented situation highlights the importance of logistics,” says Ing. Petr Kozel, chairman of the VCHD Cargo a.s. Board, explaining that “in terms of the risk of contracting this infectious disease, our drivers are at the frontlines together with healthcare workers, rescue teams and public order officials. Every day, our colleagues are on the road throughout Europe, including high-risk areas that are among the hardest-hit by the disease. They are there to make sure that there goods in our shops, including online shops whose popularity has recently skyrocketed. They come in contact with strangers on the road and when loading and unloading their vehicles. By protecting them, we, in fact, protect us all. We adopt measures designed to minimise the risk of infection and the risk of importing the disease to the Czech Republic.”

“However, we are faced with many hurdles that make our work even more difficult. First and foremost, there is the slow and inadequate response of certain countries, although wearing of facemasks has become more and more common as the situation worsens. Nevertheless, things like smoking areas where dozens of people congregate at the same time are still a common occurrence, even in Germany,” Petr Kozel continues but also criticises the other extreme – total isolation where some companies go as far as locking driver facilities – toilets, showers, canteens. “This, too, is very bad news for our drivers who spend days on the road and are now unable to enjoy even such simple services. Despite these complications, our drivers continue to do an excellent job. We are grateful to them and do our best to protect them as much as possible.”

As of today, VCHD Cargo has invested more than EUR 10.000 in personal protective items for its drivers and office staff. The company has bought hundreds of face masks, single-use gloves and disinfectants and invested in ozone generators that provide thorough cleaning and efficient liquidation of viruses and bacteria for all vehicles in its fleet. Furthermore, VCHD Cargo introduced strict internal rules for personal hygiene and circulation of individuals and documents in its facilities as early as in February.

“In the current situation, health protection measures are the no. 1 priority for us. We fully implement all new COVID-19 regulations and restrictions and we have developed our own strict in-house mechanisms to combat the virus. I am confident that if all of us – carriers, customers and consumers – behave responsibly we will get safely through this challenging period together,” Petr Kozel concludes.