Mercedes-Benz Trucks has launched the WorkReady programme to provide operators with access to a range of rigid vehicles and tractor units, available off-the-shelf and at very short notice.

It brings together a range of pre-bodied new chassis and approved used vehicles, supported by a selection of demonstrators, which allow customers to ‘try before they buy’.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK marketing communications manager, Ben Grayson, explained: “WorkReady is aimed at operators who, for any one of a multitude of reasons, may not have the time to acquire a vehicle in the conventional way.

“The process of ordering the base chassis from a dealer and then, when it arrives in the UK, waiting for one or more third-party suppliers to build the body and, potentially, add ancillaries or undertake further modifications, can take months.

“For some, that’s just not an option. If they’re faced with an urgent business requirement, WorkReady can provide the answer.”

The growing portfolio of new WorkReady trucks currently available for purchase includes Actros StreamSpace and BigSpace tractor units, as well as Actros1 models with GigaSpace cabs and 390 kW (530 hp) straight-six engines.

Meanwhile, rigid vehicles are being pre-built and tailored for work in a variety of industry sectors. The latest line-up features 8x4 Arocs construction trucks with Boweld and Thompson tipping bodies, Thompson tipper-grabs and Hyva hookloaders, the latter is also offered in 8x2 configuration.

Further down the weight spectrum come 18-tonne Arocs with Hyva skip-loading gear, and a cross-section of box-bodied vehicles, extending from 26-tonne Actros and Antos variants, through 18-tonne Antos, to 7.5 and 3.5-tonne Fuso Canters.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is committed to offering the widest possible choice of pre-bodied vehicles under the WorkReady banner. However, for some operators the right vehicle may not be available on a new chassis at the time they need it. For them, as, indeed, for those seeking to keep their acquisition costs as low as possible, a pre-owned Mercedes-Benz or FUSO truck represents the ‘next best’ option.

Vehicles are all under seven years old and have covered less than 700,000km. Prior to sale they are also subjected to multipoint inspections inside and out by certified technicians, and come with a minimum six months’ MoT, as well as six months’ mechanical breakdown insurance.

Grayson said: “Most customers will continue to order their chassis from the factory, then get them built or converted by a bodybuilder, and one or more other parties. However, given the time these processes take, some operators will be better served by a WorkReady vehicle.”

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