This was the RoadStars year 2021

So before exchanging New Year’s greetings, let’s take a look in the rear-view mirror and say: 2021 was also not the year many of us had wished for. This is precisely why it was so important for us to keep the community together and to share the stories of you drivers and the news from Mercedes‑Benz Trucks with all of you here.

The work of Walter Kleinhenz, for example, who transported concrete elements to Frankfurt Airport with his Arocs for a new terminal, is remembered. Total truck/trailer weight: 66.5 tonnes. Snowstorms, narrow through-roads, construction sites on the motorway – Walter thinks it’s "the push" why he does the job. At around 4 am, the journey was completed – and we were completely exhausted!

For a completely different kind of job, we accompanied Sascha Bellof, who transports a Mercedes‑AMG GT3 Evo to one race track after another. He pilots his Actros for the motorsport team of the Landgraf Group. Incidentally, the team freely admits: "Without the trucks, we can’t do anything!" It’s the same for us!

No truck has stirred up as much wind in the scene this year as the Actros Edition 2. There are only 400 of the special model, some of which we have already shown in action. But it was also great that we were able to look over the shoulders of the makers and shakers at the Wörth plant. Works tuning was to be seen at its finest.

World premiere: Series production of Mercedes‑Benz’s first all-electric truck began in the summer. Since then, the eActros is no longer just a dream of the future. In a user campaign, you were able to submit your questions about the eActros, which we answered here.

Another bit of excitement from the Wörth factory is the Actros L, which also celebrated its premiere this year. The truck is consistently geared towards the needs of long-haul transport and offers an extremely high comfort experience. This unit has everything it needs to be the new shooting star in the firmament of series long-haul trucks.

Up to 2,000 metres: Tobias Helbing’s company brought several mega tippers to the Tyrolean Alps this year for a construction machinery manufacturer. In order for this to work, each vehicle was transported in two parts. The dump boxes were only mounted on the chassis when they had arrived at the top. RoadStars was there when Tobias pulled a dump box up the hill with his Arocs 2663. Load dimensions: 18.50 metres long, 5.90 wide and 4.30 high.

And once more into the mountains: Bernhard Niedermair is a milk collector and travels all around the Seiser Alm, among other places. In terms of driving ability, he really has to be skilled, and yet it is often only possible to move at walking pace. 11,000 litres were in the tank when he completed his tour. He and his colleagues are on the road 365 days a year. Bernhard: "In midsummer, in the deepest winter and also for Easter and Christmas!"

And another very important thing: Thank you! Thank you for being with us all year round – whether in disaster zones, during pandemic times or during the upcoming holidays. We appreciate it. Truly!

Photos: Matthias Aletsee, Kobalt, Alex Kraus, Henrik Morlock, Alexander Tempel, Daimler Truck AG