Can I get a full 20 tonnes payload?

This single question remains one of the main yardsticks that today's tipper operators judge any new eight wheeler chassis and body combination.

A target easy enough to achieve with an alloy body, the fact is that many hauliers today are really looking for stronger, more durable vehicles able to turn their wheels to virtually any task required. As a result, the proportion of 8x4's now specified with general purpose steel bodies continues to grow strongly.

In choosing steel for extra strength and durability, a typical 8x4's carrying capacity has usually been restricted to some 19 to 19.5 tonnes. But having just fitted a Charlton SuperLite steel body to one of the first Mercedes Axor eight wheelers, the weighbridge read-out for the finished vehicle's unladen weight came in at just 11,920kgs - thereby providing the full 20 tonnes payload potential.

 This is great news for everyone  says Andrew Gunn, Charlton's Sales Manager, who adds "It's common knowledge that Mercedes has gone to great lengths to make sure that the new Axor has a highly attractive unladen weight, so it was therefore up to us to see if we could provide a steel body that could still result in the crucial 20 tonnes capacity being achieved. Happily, the SuperLite fulfilled the requirement exactly. 

The new lighter Axor eight wheeler has been introduced by Mercedes-Benz to handle the broad variety of the UK's medium duty and general purpose tipping requirements, thereby giving the 8x4 Actros a natural role in tackling heavy duty, dedicated muckaway operations.

By combining high strength and payload capacity, the Charlton SuperLite compliments the Axor perfectly, offering tipper operators a product of exceptional versatility and productivity, easily able to handle the great majority of everyday tipper applications. A totally modern and practical design, SuperLite's smooth sides and tailgate also make for smart and professional signwriting, as well as being easy to upkeep and keep clean. Similarly, any build-up of dirt under the body is also minimised.

Less expensive to buy than an aluminium body, Andrew Gunn says that  the steel SuperLite offers another big benefit too - a better residual value for the truck at trade-in time. This is because a steel body will have plenty of life left in it for a second buyer, and any repairs that might be required would be both easy and inexpensive to carry out. As a true general purpose tipper body, SuperLite has no peer. 

Also fitted with a front end tipping gear and an electric sheeting system, the new high performance 400hp Axor with its bright green SuperLite body will shortly be joining the Mercedes-Benz UK demonstration fleet.