Vicovanu, the container transport specialist, has announced it will be purchasing three pre-owned Mercedes-Benz Actros from Motus Truck & Van. After being impressed with its first purchase three months earlier, Vicovanu returned for more.

Supplied under the Mercedes-Benz Certified banner, all of the tractor units are pre-owned Actros, with flat-floored, 2.5m-wide BigSpace cabs, and, as 2545 variants, employ 12.8-litre in-line six-cylinder engines that produce 330 kW (450 hp). Their specifications include the optional Proximity Control Assist driver aid, fridges, microwave ovens and sun visors.

“Our Actros are returning upwards of 8.5 mpg, which is pretty good for container haulage. That puts them comfortably ahead of our Swedish trucks, and on a par with the others, all of which we’ve purchased from new over the last couple of years. The Actros is a premium product. Ours are well specified and were nicely presented on delivery, so naturally the drivers are very happy with them,” said Sergiu Vicovanu, who established the business in 2013.

The Actros were first registered in 2019 and have always been serviced by Motus Truck & Van. They were returned to the dealer at the end of their contract hire terms with a major fleet operator. Each had covered between 370,000 and 470,000 km. Meanwhile, regarding the design, the green and white livery, which displays the wings motif on the sides of the cabs, was chosen by the owner Sergiu Vicovanu to represent the speed with which his company delivers for its customers.

Under the newly launched scheme from Mercedes-Benz, no vehicle offered for sale under the Certified banner is more than five-and-a-half years old, or has covered in excess of 550,000 km. This means that the first service on Vicovanu’s three trucks will not be due for at least 20,000 km and tyres will have a tread depth of no less than 6mm.

Operating from Grays, Essex, the company runs a fleet of 30 trucks, offering a range of transport and logistics services, with ports-related work the backbone of its business. Vicovanu also holds Bronze accreditation from the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme and is a member of the Road Haulage Association.