Sofa Sofa’s Malcolm Streeter knows that when it comes to reliability he can sit back and relax, secure in the knowledge that his new Mercedes-Benz Atego will not let him down.
Mr Streeter is Group Transport Manager at the family-owned company, which has been manufacturing high-quality sofas and chairs in South Wales since 1981.
His confidence in the two new 7.5-tonners is borne of years of experience – Sofa Sofa’s links with the region’s Mercedes-Benz Dealer Euro Commercials go back to 1997, when it launched its own transport operation.
Purpose-designed for light- and medium-duty distribution work, as well as construction-related applications, the Mercedes-Benz Atego is a two-time winner of the International Truck of the Year title.
Sofa Sofa’s new trucks are both 816 variants with fuel-efficient 115kW (156 hp) engines and high-roofed, twin bunk BigSpace L-cabs. Their aerodynamically profiled box bodies are by Commercial Truck Bodies, of Caerphilly, while the operator also specified long-range fuel tanks with a total capacity of 280 litres, in place of the standard, single 120-litre version.
Sofa Sofa started life manufacturing Chesterfields in the Rhondda Valley and selling them from its shop in Cardiff. A passionate believer in the skills of its British workforce, the company has resisted the temptation to import cheaper products from the Far East and Eastern Europe – instead, it now operates four factories in Wales and retails its furniture from a factory showroom at Crumlin, in the Gwent Valley, as well as on the Internet.
It runs a fleet of 14 7.5-tonne trucks, all but three of which wear three-pointed stars, as well as a pair of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans. Double-manned, the Atego deliver to domestic customers throughout the UK mainland.
Malcolm Streeter had been a supplier to Sofa Sofa but sold his own haulage business two decades ago to head up its distribution operation as Group Transport Manager, a position he has held ever since.
“Mercedes-Benz trucks have been the mainstay of the fleet,” he explained. “Each 7.5-tonner typically covers up to 90,000 km a year. That’s a fair amount for a vehicle of this size, but we prefer not to run anything bigger because it’s all residential work and access to our customers’ homes can be an issue.
“On leaving the factory each truck is scheduled to make as many as 20 deliveries, so reliability is essential. Experience has proved the Atego to be more dependable and durable than anything else, which is also why we’ve tended to retain them longer than other types of vehicle – they just keep going.”
Mr Streeter continued: “Our delivery teams also appreciate the comfort of their Mercedes-Benz trucks, and the fact that they know they’ll invariably get home on time.”
Breakdowns have been few and far between but Mr Streeter recalled an incident last year, when a seal failed on a 12-registered Atego and it lost coolant. “Euro Commercials had a Service 24h technician out to us very quickly,” he said. “He diagnosed the problem, went back to the Swansea branch to pick up the parts, and we were back on the road within three hours. The response was excellent and I phoned the Dealer to tell them so.”
Mr Streeter added: “I’ve known and worked with Euro’s truck sales executive Huw Salway for a long time now, and he also provides a very good service.”
