At this year’s IAA Truck Show in Hannover Germany the new Mercedes-Benz Actross has carried off the International Truck of the Year 2009 trophy. The truck was awarded the accolade as anew model introduced in 2008 which was judged by European truck journalists to have made the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency.

The new Iveco Eurocargo came a close second followed by Volvo’s new FH model and the Scania R series models powered with the new EGR engine.

The new Actros includes many safety aids and driver comfort accessories as standard and the remodelled truck impressed the judges with its array of modern technology. The Actros can now be bought with a lane guard system, ESP stability control and active cruise control. The power shift automated transmission is also now fitted as standard.

Without looking particularly different from its predecessor the Actros has impressed journalists in Europe with the wide range of small improvements made throughout the truck and its design, answering many of the criticisms of the current model now on sale.

Mercedes-Benz Actros will be in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s most economical series-production truck.

The 40-tonne Mercedes-Benz Actros semi consumed exactly 19.44 litres of diesel per 100 km or the equivalent less than 0.8 litres per hundred tonne-kilometres (tkm).

Hauling over 25 tonnes of payload at an average speed of 80 km/h around the test course in Nardo, Italy, the fuel consumption test for the new Mercedes-Benz Actros was monitored by DEKRA (the German automotive inspection agency).

The measurements in Nardo confirmed the figures from the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), according to which the instantaneous fuel consumption of a 40-tonne semi combination can triple if the vehicle is forced to stop twice every kilometre, instead of travelling unimpeded at 50 km/h.

Correct vehicle configuration can influence fuel consumption right from day one. Mercedes reckon failure to order additional aerodynamic equipment when purchasing the vehicle can see fuel consumption increase by ten percent.

They say correctly adjusting the wind deflectors on the cab can on its own improve fuel consumption by up to four percent.

The company claim the aerodynamic A-pillar panelling available ex factory for the new Mercedes-Benz Actros at no extra cost can reduce fuel consumption by one percent.

Insufficient tyre pressure can, however, increase fuel consumption by up to eight percent. Bearing in mind that around 30% of all trucks on the road have insufficient tyre pressure, the potential savings are clear. And in addition, inadequate air pressure is also the key factor in 95% of all tyre blowouts.

Test drives with the Mercedes-Benz Actros have shown that under optimum conditions the vehicle technology accounts for just about 60 percent of the fuel consumed by a 40-tonne semi combination.

Traffic conditions, topography, vehicle configuration and maintenance make up the various factors in the remaining 40 percent or so, i.e. between ten and fifteen litres per 100 kilometres.

Traffic planners, dispatchers, fleet decision-makers and drivers can influence many of these parameters.

Considering that fuel accounts for around 30% of a fleet’s total costs, Mercedes reckon it is clear that every measure designed to reduce fuel consumption needs to be fully exploited.