McCann Transport and their brilliant Actros1

Reliable Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

McCann Transport Services is a haulage company based in Gateshead, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Started by James McCann in 1997, it’s a family business in which James’ wife also works, as did his late father.

The company specialises in transporting ferry trailers containing raw materials from countries in Europe, such as Belgium and Holland, to Scotland and the North East. They also have a small van which delivers goods to Spain, Germany, France and Italy and occasionally their ‘big’ trucks visit the continent, with the most recent trip being to Paris.

The Mercedes-Benz brand has always featured heavily in the business, as James explains, “We’ve bought Mercedes-Benz vehicles in all sizes, from Sprinters to Ategos since 1999. We’ve introduced two of the big ones in the last two years – who’s to say there won’t be more.”

Limited edition truck.

One of the ‘big’ trucks happens to be a limited edition Actros1 – a maximum of only 100 were built in 2018, making McCann’s truck an exclusive.  The vehicle certainly impressed James and was a step up from an MP3 truck. “We go up to Aberdeen a lot and the normal horse-powered engines would struggle, so we thought we’d try the Actros1.”

Indeed, the model comes with the latest generation of fuel-efficient Euro VI engine, an optimised 12-speed Mercedes-Benz PowerShift 3 gearbox and a powerful 530hp engine. In addition, drivers can reduce fuel consumption by up to 5% with Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC).

The new truck was a real treat for the company, “It was our 21^st anniversary last year so we decided to push the boat out and get one,” enthuses James.

Naming the awesome Actros1.

Asked about his favourite feature, James confesses he simply loves the livery, “It just looks awesome, and the sign writer did an amazing job matching it with our stuff.”

In fact, the sign writer did more than just paint the truck – he named it! Last year McCann decided to hold a charity competition in aid of cancer charity, ‘FACT’, as a tribute to James’s late father. Participants entered into a draw to name the truck and James’ son picked the name out of a jar – the sign writer won!

“He seemed really touched that he won – he named the truck ‘Valerie’ after his mother. The truck looks great; he really put his heart and soul in to it.”

– Mickey, Actros1 driver, McCann Transport Services

One truck. One lucky driver.

Only one lucky driver at McCann gets to drive the Actros1 – Mickey. Having been with the company for 11 years and spent lots of time on the road, he understands the importance of comfort and quality, “The Actros1 is very comfortable to drive, has a very comfortable cab – in a nutshell it’s a nice truck,” describes Mickey.  

James also mentions the Mercedes-Benz Safety Pack (which comes as standard), as impressive. The pack includes Lane Keeping Assist and Active Brake Assist 4 (ABA4) technology – which can identify potential hazards, such as pedestrians, and apply automated braking where necessary to help avoid potential collisions.

Unusual requests.

McCann often deals with raw materials, powered components and pipes for oil; however they occasionally receive an unusual task, “Every now and then we do get the odd request or delivery – once we had to transport a life boat from Scotland to Holland.”

Something the Actros1 can easily manage!

Do you drive an Actros1?

What do you like about it? Or if you don’t already drive an Actros1 – would you love to try one out? Share your thoughts with us and your fellow RoadStars in the comments section below.