Arocs for TW Services
Its distinctive grille has earned TW Services’ new Mercedes-Benz Arocs the nickname ‘Gruffalo’, after the friendly, half-grizzly bear, half-buffalo character in the best-selling children’s book.
Certainly, the 32-tonner’s arrival opens a promising new chapter in the growing relationship between the Sandwich-based waste processing and recycling specialist, and supplying Dealer Sparshatts of Kent.
The Arocs 3240 has a ClassicSpace M-cab and 394 hp (290 kW) Euro VI engine. It is fitted with a steel Thompsons Loadmaster body and a 12.5 tonne/metre Epsilon M125L crane with grab.
TW Services’ 45-strong fleet of skip- and hook-loaders, and tipper-grabs, includes two other Mercedes-Benz trucks: one is a 6x2 Actros 2551 BigSpace tractor unit, which was commissioned last year and pulls a walking floor trailer; the other is a 13-tonne Atego skip-loader first registered in 2005.
“We’ve traditionally favoured trucks by a Swedish manufacturer,” explained Manager Richard Lloyd. “But Sparshatts’ sales executive Martin Kemsley has been in regular contact and left us in no doubt that they’re keen to do business with us.
“He’s a nice guy and Sparshatts have supported the Actros well, so we’ve decided to try the Arocs and see how it measures up against our other eight-wheelers. It was the right truck and available at the right time.”
Family-owned and managed TW Services was founded in 1995, and operated initially as a skip supplier from a site in Thanet. Having moved in 2007 to its current base at Richborough Hall, the company now employs more than 85 skilled staff and provides a comprehensive range of reliable and cost-effective waste handling and materials supply services.
TW Services is capable of processing and recovering 750,000 tonnes of material each year through its purpose-built, covered waste processing centre, which covers 20 acres. This facility will soon incorporate a waste soils washing plant and once operational it will turn an estimated 120,000 tonnes of additional waste every year, into usable aggregates and soils.
The Arocs is working all over Kent and no two days are the same – one day it might be recovering rubble from a demolition site, the next lifting soil from a domestic garden.
Mr Lloyd continued: “These are still very early days but it’s a stunning looking vehicle, there’s no doubt about that, and has been nicknamed ‘The Gruffalo’ by the lads. The Arocs has also won a big ‘thumbs up’ from its driver, and he’s not an easy guy to please.”
“My new Mercedes-Benz is comfortable, easy to drive, and handles really well,” confirmed Oscar Worf. “The steering is light, the brakes good, and having used manual gearboxes for 30 years I really like the automated transmission.
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