Schober Transport gets first trucks with Mercedes-Benz Uptime

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Daimler Press Release  /  March 30, 2017

• First delivery to customers of 21 Mercedes-Benz Actros with Mercedes-Benz Uptime
• Schober transport company counts on significantly increased vehicle availability through connectivity of trucks with transport company and Mercedes-Benz Service
• Safety package with Active Brake Assist 4, Lane Keeping Assist, Proximity Control Assist and Attention Assist
• Sideguard Assist for the company's new tractor units
• Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) for fuel-saving driving

Stuttgart / Wörth – The Schober Transport GmbH from Weinstadt in the Stuttgart region took delivery in March 2017 of a total of 21 Mercedes-Benz Actros. The occasion involved a genuine premiere: the 15 Actros 1845 LS 4x2 tractor units and six Actros 1845 LSNRL 4x2 Volumer tractor units are the first trucks to be equipped with the new Truck Data Center and the new Mercedes-Benz Uptime service system. By communicating the status of the vehicle in real-time, the new system allows predictive truck maintenance and analytics while significantly increasing the availability of the vehicles. Along with Pascal Schober, responsible for Business Development at his father's company, Steffen-Kai Schober, owner and managing director of the Schober transport company, took delivery of the ground-breaking vehicles at Europe's largest truck plant in Wörth.

The official handover was performed by Thomas Witzel, Sales Director Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles Württemberg: "We are delighted to grow our business relationship with Schober Transport GmbH, which is marked by dependability and honesty, with the handover of the first Actros trucks with Mercedes-Benz Uptime, thereby assuring the long-term economic success of the Schober transport company."

"Our fleet is 100 percent Mercedes-Benz. These trucks guarantee utmost quality and reliability in the tightly deadlined movement of goods and they ensure that our fleet is always equipped with state-of-the-art technology," says Steffen-Kai Schober. In particular, he highlights the excellent cooperation with his Mercedes-Benz partners, the fast response to acute issues and problems as well as the high popularity of the Actros with the drivers. "The new Actros tractor units and Actros Volumer tractor units offer the best vehicle concept on the market and provide us with optimal support in the profitable realisation of our goals." He succinctly sums up those goals: punctual delivery, maximum safety for driver and cargo as well as active environmental protection through high fuel economy and lowest possible CO₂ emissions – with the Mercedes-Benz Actros.

Mercedes-Benz Uptime minimises downtimes and breakdowns

Mercedes-Benz Uptime continuously monitors the status of the vehicle systems in real-time. Within a matter of seconds, the data are interpreted, critical states detected and specific action recommendations issued.

"The ability to prevent vehicle breakdowns, to ensure absolute punctuality of deliveries and to predictably plan maintenance work is essential for our transport company. We are firmly convinced that Mercedes-Benz Uptime will help us to consistently meet these goals – a new and important tool for assuring our future," says Steffen-Kai Schober.

Through the early detection of critical vehicle states, Mercedes-Benz Uptime already permits the preventive maintenance and repair of all new Mercedes-Benz Actros, Arocs and Antos trucks. In this way, breakdowns and costly downtimes are reliably prevented. This leads to significantly increased vehicle availability. Wherever it is on the road, the truck is in constant contact with the transport company's fleet manager, the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center in Maastricht and the customer's preferred Mercedes-Benz service workshop. In addition, Mercedes-Benz Uptime tracks the maintenance history of all trucks equipped with the system. This records, and therefore lastingly optimises, the success of repairs by means of comparison with other vehicles.

The use of Mercedes-Benz Uptime is based on the new Truck Data Center. The connectivity module receives data from the truck's sensors, cameras, etc. and analyses this information for many different applications.

Uptime was unveiled at the IAA International Motor Show for Commercial Vehicles in 2016, its reliable operation and efficiency having previously been comprehensively tested over three years in more than 1400 trucks in 16 fleets and in four countries, which delivered proof of the system's suitability for use.

Saving fuel, improving safety

The 21 new Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks of the Schober transport company are powered by fuel-efficient OM 471 12.8 l six-cylinder in-line engines of the latest generation with an output of 330 kW (449 hp). All 21 trucks are equipped with the Mercedes-Benz Eco package as well as Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) for fuel-saving driving. PPC combines GPS data and topographic maps with the Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated transmission and improves the fuel efficiency by up to five percentage points.

"We value the safe and comfortable workplace offered to our drivers by the Actros," says Steffen-Kai Schober. The Schober transport company has therefore comprehensively equipped its Actros vehicles with safety assistance systems. In addition to the new Active Brake Assist 4, this includes a compendium of the latest Mercedes-Benz assistance systems. Comprising Lane Keeping Assist, Stability Control Assist, Proximity Control Assist and Attention Assist. The new Sideguard Assist also provides improved protection for cyclists and pedestrians when the truck makes a turn. It also means greater safety when changing lane to the right, for example at motorway junctions.

Four generations of green fleets and sustainable logistics concepts

Based in Weinstadt in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Schober Transport GmbH has been a leading service provider in all areas of logistics for over 80 years. From six sites across Germany, some 600 employees serve customers in many different sectors. The focus is on the industry/automotive sector as well as fresh, dry and temperature-controlled food logistics. The company's logistical bandwidth extends from contract logistics and warehousing to co-packing, empty-pallet/ returns management and goods picking to the development of tailored transport and logistics concepts.

The company's own fleet comprises over 110 vehicles, all from Mercedes-Benz. As a general rule, the company's entire fleet covers an annual distance of 14.9 million kilometres. Around 1.1 million pallets a year are transported, mainly inside Germany but also in Italy and the Benelux countries. The company attaches very great importance to environmentally sound transport using the latest vehicle technologies, a safe and environmentally aware driving style, intelligent fixed-route services with no empty runs and a host of other measures. "We aim to create lasting value for our company through consistent identification with values and goals such as economic growth, qualification and training, environmental protection and quality of life," says Steffen-Kai Schober, summing up his company's philosophy.

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