Doyle Plant & Construction’s latest Mercedes-Benz Arocs is not just any contender – driver Dave Coombes reckons that with striking Rocky Balboa artwork adorning the cab, his new eight-wheeler is a knockout!
Dave chose the Sylvester Stallone blockbuster as the theme for the muscular tipper’s graphics, and employer Charlie Doyle was happy to roll with his idea.
“We like our vehicles to look smart and have a high profile, so they double as mobile advertisements for the business,” said Mr Doyle. “As he’s been with us for more than 10 years, we invited Dave to suggest a design for his next truck.
“I wasn’t surprised by his choice, because he’s a big Rocky fan. But I agreed the movie would be an excellent subject and we’re both delighted with the result. The livery has already drawn a huge number of positive comments from other drivers, and from members of the public who have phoned the office to tell us they’ve seen the truck out on the road.”
Windsor-based Doyle Plant & Construction provides bulk excavation and groundworks services for customers across the South-East, as well as supplying a wide range of materials, including sand, aggregates and ballast.
The 8×4 Arocs 3240 is one of two supplied to the company by the Heathrow branch of Mercedes-Benz Dealer Group Rygor Commercials. It was painted and lacquered by Tor Trucks, of Somerton, Somerset, with renowned truck artist Matt Paint applying the striking airbrushed images.
Powered by 10.7-litre straight-six engines generating 290 kW (394 hp), which drive through smooth and efficient PowerShift 3 automated transmissions, both trucks are fitted with steel Thompsons tipping bodies and Palfinger cranes. The second is in Doyle’s standard colours.
The company runs three tractor units and eight 32-tonne rigids, a combination of tippers and tipper-grabs, which it maintains in-house. It has operated vehicles by various manufacturers but an Arocs eight-wheeler supplied by Rygor Commercials in 2014 made a real impact.
“It can be difficult in our line of work to compare fuel figures between trucks, because of the big variations in the jobs they’re doing from one day to the next,” said Mr Doyle. “You certainly get a feel for it, though, and that truck was noticeably better than anything else on the fleet, in terms of both diesel and AdBlue consumption. In fact, you might say the others couldn’t lay a glove on it!”
He continued: “The driver loved the Arocs and it proved superbly reliable. Nothing went wrong in three years of operation, while the warranty and parts back-up from Rygor was every bit as good as we’d hoped. So we had no hesitation in returning to the same Dealer for our latest trucks.”
Rygor took back the original Arocs and a Swedish-built eight-wheeler in part-exchange against the two new vehicles. “Sales executive Gavin Duffy handled our order and was very attentive, always available seven days a week,” added Mr Doyle.
Gavin Duffy added: “The rugged Arocs is purpose-designed for the construction sector, and certainly packs a big punch. I’m delighted that thanks to our customer-focused approach and commitment to Setting Standards, we’ve been able to supply Charlie and his team with another two exceptional trucks that can be relied upon to go the distance.”
