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Dorking-based family firm Ede Bros is running its biggest pantechnicon yet, an 18-tonne Mercedes Axor with five-container Robin Sparshatt body.
Supplied by Rossetts Commercials, Aldershot, the truck is an 1833LLnR Lowliner model with reduced ride height and air suspension on both axles.
The cab roof was fitted at Robin Sparshatt’s production facility in Havant with a twin-bunk sleeper pod, while the body has the traditional walk-in tailboard and overhead canopy still favoured by Ede Bros in preference to side-hinged doors, and a side-loading option to the fifth container.
A member of the British Association of Removers (BAR), Ede Bros has three warehouses on its Capel site and now offers European removal and worldwide shipping services, alongside its core domestic removal business.
The company was founded during the General Strike of 1926 by brothers Bob and Ted Ede, who initially provided haulage as well as removals services – initially, when undertaking removals, they would simply lift a canvas ‘tilt’ onto one of their flat-bed trucks, the earliest of which was a solid-tyred Leyland Peerless.
It’s a far cry from the latest, state-of-the art addition to the company fleet, which has replaced a 13-tonne Mercedes and lined up alongside the company’s two other trucks, a 12-tonner and a 7.5-tonner, both of which also wear the three-pointed star.
Partner Norman Ede, a grandson of founder Bob, explains: “When my father Peter joined the firm in the early 1950s he decided to concentrate solely on removals and, like most others in our industry, we ran Bedford trucks for many years.
“With the demise of Bedford we switched 11 years ago to Mercedes-Benz on the advice of Robin Sparshatt and have been buying them ever since.”
Mr Ede continues: “From time to time we take up to six men on a job and the bodybuilder initially recommended Mercedes because at the time the bunk in the standard sleeper cab could be adapted easily to create a bench seat.
“Now, though, Mercedes-Benz offers a purpose-built crew seat complete with belts for four men. This seat can also be used as a third bunk, in addition to the two in the pod.”
And he adds: “Through long experience we’ve come to appreciate the little things that make this job easier and our new Axor is perfectly tailored to the job of removals.
”We’ve also been dealing with Keith Farley at Rossetts Commercials for years, and he provides an excellent service.” |
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