MTS Suction Systems UK has ordered eight new Mercedes-Benz trucks for use to excavate roads and footpaths.

The bodybuilder, which has a sales headquarters in Ely, Cambridgeshire, ordered seven 32-tonne Arocs 3251 ENAs and a single 26-tonne Econic 2635 L ENA.

The trucks are being fitted with their high-performance bodies and ancillary equipment at MTS Suction Systems’ production facility in Germersheim, southern Germany.

Vehicles built by MTS Suction Systems typically cost between £350,000 and £400,000 each.

Despite this, the increase in recent years in the use of fibre optics and other underground services mean the company’s vacuum excavators are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional machinery such as mini-diggers, and even shovels.

The bodybuilder’s UK managing director Russell Fairhurst said: “We used to be happy to sell two or three suction excavators per year, but we’re looking at between 25-30 now.

“The capital cost means this equipment will never replace conventional methods altogether, but for areas with high concentrations of underground services the benefits in terms of health and safety, and damage-free operations, are compelling.”