We love to see a tenacious sales executive work to get a deal. That’s what happened with Bell Truck & Van’s Truck Sales Executive Alex Wordsworth in closing a deal for an Atego 1530 recovery truck for Alpha Recovery.
Alpha Recovery has operated Mercedes-Benz trucks of various size in the past, but more recently most of the vehicles had been Swedish-built. “The Dealer has made great strides over the past couple of years, and Alex worked hard to convince us that we should give it another chance,” said Mr Narey. “His customer service, like that of everyone to whom we’ve spoken from the senior management team down, has been excellent.
The Atego Specification
The Atego 1530 is the latest addition to the Cramlington-based operator’s fleet. It has an uprated gross weight of 16 tonnes and a ClassicSpace cab with optional third seat, while the 7.7-litre ‘straight six’ engine produces 300 hp.
The vehicle’s SLA Super-Low Approach vehicle transporter bodywork is by specialist manufacturer Roger Dyson, of Droitwich, Worcestershire. While one vehicle is carried on the sliding bed, a lifting section accommodates a second, and a third can be towed using a spectacle lift.
The Atego arrived with Alpha Recovery just as the second lockdown came to an end, and the first snows of the winter swept across parts of northern England. “The truck landed at a particularly busy time for us, due to the bad weather and increased traffic volumes,” recalled Recovery Manager Simon Narey. “The fact that Bell Truck and Van delivered it on time and in perfect condition meant we could get it straight out and into the thick of the action.”
Ideally specified to attend multi-vehicle accidents, the Atego offers a payload capacity of 6.0 tonnes which is easily sufficient to carry two large SUVs, while the spectacle lift means it can recover up to three vehicles from a location in a single trip.
Roger Dyson’s SLA transporter bed is designed to slide clear of the chassis and lie very close to the ground, giving an approach angle of less than five degrees – as a result, high-performance sports cars and others with very low clearance can be loaded without any risk of damage.
The Recovery Operation
“We maintain the fleet in our own large and very busy workshop, but Bell’s parts department has put systems in place to keep us well stocked with everything we need. We know, too, that should we require any technical advice its own workshop is only a phone call away,.”
Having operated Atego-based recovery trucks previously, Alpha Recovery is already familiar with these attributes. “It’s a great piece of kit,” enthused Simon Narey, “well built and comfortable to drive, while also providing a solid platform for the recovery equipment.
“We can’t afford to run breakdown trucks that break down themselves, but we know from experience that we can always depend on an Atego. The new truck looks great in our high-visibility livery too.”