Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/555101
30 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | AUGUST 2015 THIS YEAR'S ACTIVITIES: JOHN ANDERSON CONCERT • FREE tickets for all GATS registered attendees! First-come, first-served availability on seating. FREE TRUCK PARKING • Shuttle bus transportation to convention center • Showers provided by TA and Petro Stopping Centers • Food vendors and cooling tents This pavilion will provide products, information, free services and education to assist you on the road to better health. • Free health screenings • Cooking demos • In-cab fitness demos • Health-related vendors RECRUITING PAVILION • Expanded pavilion with more recruiters • Learn about fleet driver packages OVERDRIVE'S PRIDE & POLISH • Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Pride & Polish sets the standard for truck beauty contests • Enter your truck to compete at PrideandPolish.com THE GATS THEATER Stage hosting numerous sessions that will excite and educate: • Trucker Talent Search • Pride & Polish award presentation • Partners in Business workshops RED EYE RADIO • Daily meet and greets and celebrity appearances • Live performances at the booth • Prize giveaways and drawings REGISTER NOW! TRUCKSHOW.COM TITLE SPONSOR: SUPPORTING SPONSORS: Under the hood lies something different from the rest of Mercedes' com- mercial lineup. The com- pany ditched the 4-cylinder diesel engine familiar to many Sprinter fl eets in fa- vor of a 4-cylinder gasoline engine borrowed from the company's C-Class. The engine, tuned for rear-wheel drive, puts out 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. I didn't know what to expect when asking the turbo- charged 2-liter engine to climb some aggressive mountainous grades (many were 7 percent or more), but the engine consistently stood up to the chal- lenge. Shifting from the G-Tronic 7-speed automatic transmission could not have been smoother. I found both the transmission and engine highly responsive over the vary- ing terrain that Colorado threw at the Metris. In the drive around the moun- tains, I got about 25 mpg. However, you could expect a little less once the van is fully upfi tted and loaded close to its 2,600-pound payload capacity. The van's 38.7-inch turning radius makes Metris a great choice for an urban pickup-and-delivery setting. Also, at just a tick less than 75 inches tall, Mer- cedes is banking on Metris' "garageability" – the van's ability to navigate in parking garages and smaller spaces typically off-limits to commercial vans – as a major selling point. Metris is expected to arrive at U.S. dealers in October. Bernie Glaser, vice president and managing director of Mercedes-Benz Vans USA, said the com- pany is accepting preorders and expects to have 30 production models for key fl eet customers to demo by summer's end. Cargo van confi gurations start at $28,950, and the passenger van starts at $32,500 (excluding $995 destination/delivery charge for both vans). In terms of safety, Metris will feature six airbags, and passenger van specs get two more. All models will feature standard Attention Assist, Crosswind Assist and load-adaptive electronic stability control. Attention Assist essentially learns the driving habits of the person be- hind the wheel. It creates a driver profi le and measures 70 variables that contribute to drowsy driving. Optional safety features will include Active Parking Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Parktronic, Collision Preven- tion Assist, Blind Spot Assist and a rearview camera. Metris does not offer electric sliding doors, but I found the manual versions opened and closed easily. Also, Mer- cedes is projecting service intervals of a fl eet-friendly 15,000 miles. An optional lane departure warning provides asubtle vibration to the thick steering wheel when the vehicle crosses a lane marker on either side. The van's 38.7-inch turning radius makes Metris a great choice for an urban pickup- and-delivery setting.