AG Barr has unveiled a new livery showcasing the company’s range of flavoured drinks.

The 18-tonne Mercedes-Benz Actros is fitted with a fast access curtainslider body by Bevan Group, AG Barr’s preferred supplier for its English-based trucks.

It is one of six vehicles built by Bevan at its production facility in Oldbury, West Midlands – the others are a pair of Mercedes-Benz Antos 18-tonners and three 15-tonne MAN TGMs.

All have the same body design, which is suited to multi-drop applications because the curtains are tensioned from front to back and have locks at both ends so drivers have no time-consuming straps and buckles to contend with. To gain access they simply slide back the curtains, concertina-fashion.

The vehicles are also AG Barr’s first to be fitted with a new, roof-retractable load retention system developed by Simark Engineering, of Rowley Regis.

Compatible with the latest DVSA health and safety standards, this allows the operative to pull the retaining net down and over the product, then tension it, from ground level, without having to climb onto the back of the truck.  

The  Actros 1824 has a sleeper cab and is based at AG Barr’s depot in Walthamstow, East London, from where it is delivering to customers across the south east, many at seaside resorts.

Like the company’s other new Mercedes-Benz trucks, it is an LnR model with low frame and correspondingly easier to access load deck, as well as Euro 6 engine technology.

Steve Bird, transport services supervisor, is responsible for AG Barr’s English-based fleet of 45 trucks, most of which are Mercedes-Benz and were supplied by North-West Dealer Roanza, which previously traded as Enza.

Bird said: “Our company profile, market position and sales performance continues to grow in England and this eye-catching livery can only help to make our brands even more visible and top of mind for English consumers.

“We trialled some bodies by Bevan in 2008 and they were very good, so we stuck with them and have not looked back since. Bevan’s products are very well engineered – they require minimal maintenance, which is crucial given that we work to a 10-year vehicle replacement cycle.

“Bevan also provides a brilliant service and even managed to complete the production of our latest vehicles ahead of schedule, which was a big help.”

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