Late last year, the director of Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus in Australia, Michael May, got an unexpected phone call from Italy. And it was nothing to do with a long-lost relative trying to connect.

Late last year, the director of Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus in Australia, Michael May, got an unexpected phone call from Italy. And it was nothing to do with a long-lost relative trying to connect.
You couldn’t get more vanilla than a base model, with a vanilla diesel engine, vanilla chassis and vanilla cab-over design. Then paint it white – like a kitchen appliance.
“Set on a high bank overlooking the fertile flats of the Murray River, Old Blythewood stands as a testament to the industry, ingenuity and flexibility of the pioneering McLarty family,” reads the National Trust website.
US Hydrogen start-up Nikola has just announced an order for 2500 TRE battery/electric rigid waste trucks for Republic Services, with an option for up to 5000 units. Read more
It’s taken nearly a decade, but Mitsubishi is back in the game, this time with a French solution. It’s the first fruits of the Renault/Mitsubishi alliance that have fallen from the tree and it’s arriving in Aussie dealerships.
Every now and then Mercedes-Benz Australia lets me loose on one of its test and validation trucks to see how they shape up with a broader range of competition.