Recently Big Rigs was invited to the Gold Coast to experience a rather special truck, a new Mercedes-Benz Arocs – now available from the factory in tipper spec.
The guys at Daimler Truck Brisbane saw an opportunity to go the Full Monty and deliver a vocational truck with all the bells and whistles that will withstand anything a mud/rock/and in this instance, a fertiliser carter could possibly throw at it.
Yes, the Arocs is a tipper and dog combination and it is designed from the factory to not only be tough-as, but to make life easy for body-builders to do their thing.
To this end Daimler Brisbane got trailer specialist, Hercules involved.
From wheelbase and overall combinations, to placement of the oil tank, PTO and everything else needed to make bodybuilding more efficient, the collaboration has resulted in a tough as nails, quarry-spec truck with everything you could want on it, and which will carry a 40-tonne payload.
Modern trucks, as you all know, have a myriad of electronic systems built in to meet environmental and safety laws. All these systems talk to each other via CAN bus.
For those not in the know, CAN bus stands for Controller Area Network and is a communication protocol that allows ECUs (Electronic Control Units) to communicate with each other – and in any modern truck there are lots of them.
They allow efficient data transfer between the ECUs with reduced wiring, improved reliability and control everything from engine control to brakes, steering and lighting. It’s like your brain, with its neuron pathways all talking to each other.
Now, if you were silly enough to stick a probe in your noggin you are in all likelihood going to do a serious amount of damage to yourself. It’s the same with a modern truck.
We’ve heard horror stories of body builders cutting into a wiring loom and someone’s brand new pride and joy instantly turns into an oversized paperweight. To trace and fix the problem can be very time consuming and very expensive.
So, Mercedes-Benz have produced the Arocs, which has to be the easiest truck on which to add a tipper/trailer as any truck could possibly be. How have they done it?
Simply put, Daimler has put everything in the truck from factory, so that the body builder has no need to get into the cabin to do the work – no cutting or splicing of wires, no adding tipper controls – it’s already there.
Under the multimedia screen are a series of electric switches pre-installed for the tipper controls. There is everything from PTO through to tarps open or close to dolly lock, that is all wired in and down through the back of the cab to the chassis, ready for the body builder to pick up on.
There is a quick reference guide in the truck with a QR code so the body builder can get information online, should they need it. This is in addition to help from their friendly Daimler dealer.
To illustrate the lengths Mercedes-Benz has gone to, there is prewiring for spotlights and extra lighting. There’s even wiring in the roof for the fitment of rotating beacon lights. The body builder simply has to cut holes in the roof, pick up the wiring and fit the beacons.
The truck is designed to make it easier to fit the body with less work to be done before the truck hits the road. That equates to both time and money savings and minimal risk of something going wrong in the process.
With the Arocs, Mercedes has made a truck that is easier for the bodybuilder, to put a tow hitch and body on, and to get it PBS certified.
As well as the aforementioned, there are many other changes to the truck to cater for the environments in which it will work.
Ground clearance is higher with fuel and AdBlue tanks placed higher as well, along with the front bumper (underneath the distinctive grill) – all designed with the off-road nature of the truck in mind.
There’s a straight front axle which also gives more ground clearance. And there are different front shock absorbers to take some harshness out of the ride often associated with off-road trucks.
Front quarter panels are steel rather than plastic and the bottom step is made out of a rubber compound to allow flex should you hit a rock in the quarry. It is also heavily dimpled to scrape muddy boots.
The air intake is different from the roof down to the air cleaner, having a twin cyclonic feature which will take the heavier particles out of the air and drop them out before it gets into the air filter, giving longer life from the air cleaner.
We had a look at the build order for this truck and there are dozens of specific changes: heavy-duty everything, cover plates for the (all round) disc brakes, splash guard, front underride guard, pre-install for UHF, changed frame overhang – the list goes on and on.
Should you get stuck in mud, the Arocs features a “rock free” system where the electronics work with the gearbox to rock the truck backwards and forwards to help get you out of the shtick – only to be used off-road!
We know it works because at one stage we got stuck in a muddy quagmire. Ahh, Queensland. Sunny one day – muddy the next.
So we have one tough truck but what’s it like to drive?
Loaded close to 50 tonne GCM, I take hold of the (safety yellow) grab rails and climb into the cab. Having driven the Actros I’m familiar with the layout – the smart interactive Multimedia Cockpit sitting on the two-tone dashboard, the superbly comfortable seats, fridge under the quality bunk mattress.
There are those preinstalled switches on the dash but otherwise it’s pretty much Old Home Street.
I lay my phone on the charger, check the axle loadings, set the auto climate control, twist the column mounted gearshift into drive, the brakes release automatically, and we are away.
First up, this truck has a steel sprung front axle, and the cabin is also on springs – unlike the all-airbag Actros. The difference? Absolutely minimal. It rides well, it corners well and it is oh so quiet.
Underneath me is M-B’s OM471 litre engine putting out 530hp and 2600Nm through their proven 12-speed AMT gearbox, which has been tweaked to hold onto the gears slightly longer.
It is plenty to pull these 50 tonnes uphill and keep up with the traffic. Coming out of roundabouts and up decent inclines, the truck was happy to drop back to 8th gear then move through 9th and 10th in short order while keeping the speed up.
The three-stage engine brake works a treat in conjunction with the all-round disc brakes on the truck and trailer, with pedal pressure light and progressive. There’s all the safety features: adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, driver attention assist, a driver’s air bag – the list goes on.
After some hours travelling over back roads, freeways and muddy terrain we end up back at Rocky Point Fertilisers who graciously allowed the photo shoot and loaded the truck with their product – as well as giving a fascinating tour of their facility.
I drive the truck up to a mountain (literally) of fertiliser in the making, hit the appropriate buttons on the dash, the trailer gate unlocks, the trailer rises and job done!
As I’ve found with the Actros product, the Arocs is point and go with no fuss. The steering is great, the cabin is superbly insulated, the ride is positively cosseting.
Rain sensing wipers, auto lights on and dozens of other small touches make the Arocs a Rolls Royce of tough tippers. Don’t believe me? Go try it for yourself.