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News

4 Feb

Victorian Freight Specialists hits the road with new Actros ProCabin

Victorian Freight Specialists has a fleet of more than 160 of its own trucks and services regional Victoria and Southern New South Wales, as well as Canberra and Melbourne.

Now the company has welcomed a Mercedes-Benz Actros ProCabin into its fleet.

The ProCabin introduces a new cab with a special aerodynamic design to further drive down fuel consumption, as well as a new active safety package with an electronic platform that can respond 20 per cent faster than before.

It chose a 13-litre 1853 4x2 version of the ProCabin for its fleet, which joins a previous-generation Actros with the same specifications. Thanks to its compact size and manoeuvrability, the trucks come in very handy.

“It’s so versatile. It is a great truck to have because you don’t have to send a big full-size semi into a tight spot,” says Victorian Freight Specialists Director of Operations, Chris Collins.

The new ProCabin has been extremely handy as Victorian Freight Specialists recorded its busiest night ever in the lead up to Christmas.

Victorian Freight Specialists operates the latest products from Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Chris Collins decided to put an early order in for the ProCabin model.

“I love the fresh look of the ProCabin and new that it brings some other improvements like the more advanced safety, so I was keen to get into one straight away,” said Chris.

His initial fuel consumption figures have impressed him as well. “They really are excellent. I haven’t looked in too much detail, but it is doing even better than the existing truck, which was already great on fuel,” he said

He also told us that the driver is especially pleased with his new truck.

“It’s a beautiful truck to drive. It has brilliant performance with 530hp and he also likes all the additional safety features.”

Andrew Assimo of Daimler Truck said it‘s great to see the Actros ProCabin hit the road in Victorian Freight Specialist colours.

“VFS is known for its focus on innovation and operating the latest model trucks that are always in pristine condition, so it’s great that they have continued this tradition and added a new Actros ProCabin model,” said Andrew. “We‘re thrilled to hear how well the new ProCabin model is going in the VFS fleet,” he adds.

The Victorian Freight Specialists Actros ProCabin features detail scrollwork and plenty of stainless steel as well as a custom aluminium bullbar made by AJ’s Bullbars.

HINO: 35 STRAIGHT DAKAR FINISHES FOR RECORD-BREAKING HINO TEAM

Team Sugawara Hino has recorded its 35th consecutive finish at the gruelling Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, finishing in 15th place in the truck category.

Furthermore, by completing this event, team director and driver Teruhito Sugawara extended his record of consecutive finishes to 21, surpassing the previous record of 20 held by his father, Yoshimasa Sugawara, who retired from Hino Team Sugawara in 2019.

Teruhito Sugawara (below centre) was accompanied in the Hino 600 Series by navigator Hirokazu Somemiya (Left) and navigator/mechanic Yuji Mochizuki (Right) with additional support from a team of Hino mechanics.

The truck ran smoothly in the first half of the race without any major issues, maintaining 8th place in the truck category.

A variety of problems struck in the second half including a crash in the dune stage, issues with the drivers’ intercom system impacting their communication to each other, damage to the transfer case, and a burst tyre 15 kilometres from the end on the final day.

“Once again, the team’s ability to overcome issues to record yet another consecutive finish is a testament to the quality, durability and reliability that Hino is renowned for,” said Richard Emery, President & CEO of Hino Australia.

“As a sponsor of Hino Team Sugawara for the last 13 years, we would like to congratulate the team on their result with a particular commendation to Teruhito Sugawara’s record of consecutive finishes,” he said.

Held over 15 days, the 2026 Dakar Rally consisted of 13 gruelling stages over a total distance of almost 8,000 kilometres with 5,000 kilometres worth of special stages.

In 2026, the Marathon and 48-Chrono stages were replaced by two Marathon-Refuge stages, which provided an extreme challenge as participants were only allowed to receive assistance from their fellow competitors.

The Hino Dakar Rally 600 Series is equipped with full-time four-wheel drive and powered by a 9-litre, direct-injection A09C engine featuring turbocharging and intercooling.

Delivering an impressive 588kW at 2,800rpm and peak torque of 2,430Nm at 1,600rpm, the powertrain is engineered for exceptional performance in the most demanding conditions.

FUSO SOLD AND SUPPORTED IN TASSIE BY AJL

Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner dealer AJL will look after the Fuso brand in Tasmania from early 2026.

The local company will sell and support Fuso trucks and buses at its Burnie, Hobart and Devonport facilities. From early 2026, AJL will also open a new facility in Launceston.

The expansion means Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso trucks will be supported by the same dealership group at major cities across the Apple Isle.

Daimler Truck Australia Pacific Sales, Marketing and Operations Vice President, Andrew Assimo, says Fuso customers are in good hands in Tasmania.

“Our Tasmanian Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner customers are thrilled with the support they are receiving from AJL, so we’re really excited to have them now looking after our Fuso customers,” he says.

“The AJL team is investing heavily to make sure our Fuso customers will have the support they need to get the job done,” Mr Assimo adds.

Daimler Truck Australia Pacific Aftersales and Network Operations Vice President, Antonio Briceño, says the AJL appointment is very positive news for Fuso customers in Tasmania.

“AJL runs a great operation that has a sharp focus on keeping customers moving, so we are really pleased to have them look after our Fuso customers,” he says.

Mr Briceño also paid tribute to CJD for representing Fuso in Tasmania for more than 25 years.

“We’d like to thank CJD for looking after our Fuso customers in Tasmania. The CJD team has always been great to work with,” he says.

PROTRAN SOLUTIONS AQUIRES THERMAL MARK INDUSTRIES

EXPANDS TRANSPORT REFRIGERATION CAPABILITIES

**Thermal Mark Products, currently built and assembled in Sydney, NSW, will now have a new owner, Protran Solutions**

SYDNEY, NSW – Protran Solutions Pty Ltd has acquired Thermal Mark Industries, a refrigeration specialist serving Australia's transport sector since 2002. The acquisition positions Protran Solutions to deliver expanded refrigeration services and introduce sustainability-focused products throughout 2026.

Under the leadership of General Manager Grant Turner, Protran Solutions will build on Thermal Mark's established reputation while expanding capabilities across refrigeration system supply and installation, servicing, preventative maintenance, spare parts support, and cold-chain compliance.

"This acquisition combines proven industry expertise with a commitment to premium support and customer uptime," said Grant Turner, General Manager of Protran Solutions. "We're focused on expanding our product portfolio in 2026 with solutions that address real-world sustainability objectives in the transport refrigeration sector."

The company will continue operating from Thermal Mark's existing facility at Penny Place, Arndell Park, NSW. All team members, including Thermal Mark founder Marc Gauci, will remain with the business to ensure service continuity.

"When Protran Solutions approached me about the acquisition, their vision for premium product offerings and customer-first service aligned perfectly with what I've built over the past 20 years," said Marc Gauci, who founded Thermal Mark in 2002. "I'm excited to continue this journey and help bring expanded capabilities to our customers."

Turner confirmed that customers will experience seamless continuity with no disruption to existing service agreements or product availability, while gaining access to new offerings as they become available.

VOLVO TRUCKS SHINES AT AWARDS NIGHT

The partnership between Foodbank ACT & NSW and Volvo Trucks has been awarded for Excellence in Social Impact at the recent Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce awards night, held late last year.

Volvo Trucks and Foodbank worked together to have a dual temperature zone trailer built that transformed the organisation’s ability to respond to natural disasters as well the ability reach remote regional communities. The 22-pallet freezer van is hauled by a Volvo FH 13 540 Globetrotter XL to maximise the efficiency, safety and productivity of the important role it now plays.

The combination is equipped to deliver goods with minimal need for infrastructure to unload.

Transport is a significant cost for nonprofit organisations, the addition of this truck to the Foodbank fleet has also increased its ability to pick up donated produce and items in bulk, helping to drive down operating costs.

“This truck and trailer combination has added to the organisations regional capability. They now have the ability to carry more, deliver more and cover more areas,” says Tom Chapman, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Volvo trucks Australia.

“But at the end of the day the real heroes in this are the hard-working people behind Foodbank ACT and NSW and the volunteers and not-for profit organisations that work with them across the states and territories, in far flung country towns and regional centres.”

“We’re truly humbled to see this partnership recognised.”

The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1911 and works to strengthen business ties between both Australia and Sweden.

DAIMLER PRESENTS MERCEDES-BENZ NextGenH2 TRUCK

• The Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck marks the next development step toward hydrogen-based truck transportation

• As part of a limited small-series production, 100 vehicles are set to be deployed in customer operations from the end of 2026 onwards

• Proven components such as the cellcentric fuel cell and liquid hydrogen technology have been carried over from the first-generation Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck and further developed, with innovative technical safety solutions, and more compact packaging enhancing customer value through broader compatibility with trailers

• New in the NextGenH2 Truck: key series components from the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 like the integrated e-axle, aerodynamically optimized ProCabin, Multimedia Cockpit Interactive 2, and latest safety assistance systems

• Achim Puchert, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “In addition to battery-electric solutions, hydrogen-based drives are crucial for the sustainable transformation of our industry. With the NextGenH2 Truck, we are taking the next technological step in fuel cell trucks. Together with our customers, we aim to introduce a small series with high range and near production ready technology into daily transport operations from the end of 2026.”

Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany — Following the development and successful testing program with prototypes of its first-generation fuel cell trucks, Daimler Truck presents the Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck. The fuel cell truck represents another development milestone for Daimler Truck on the path to sustainable transportation powered by hydrogen. In a small-series production run at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth, 100 units of these further developed semi-trailer tractors will be manufactured and deployed with various customers from the end of 2026 onwards.

Achim Puchert, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “In addition to battery-electric solutions, hydrogen-based drives are crucial for the sustainable transformation of our industry. With the NextGenH2 Truck, we are taking the next technological step in fuel cell trucks. Together with our customers, we aim to introduce the small series with high range and near production ready technology into daily transport operations from the end of 2026.”

The engineering team retained the proven strengths of the first-generation Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck in the development of the new model. Liquid hydrogen enables ranges well over 1,000 kilometers on a single tank filling at full load. The proven cellcentric BZA150 fuel cell converts hydrogen into electrical energy on board.

Liquid Hydrogen Enables Ranges Well Over 1,000 Kilometers

In the development of hydrogen-based drives, Daimler Truck prefers the use of liquid hydrogen. At -253 degrees Celsius, liquid hydrogen has a significantly higher energy density compared to gaseous hydrogen, allowing more hydrogen to be stored, substantially increasing range and delivering performance comparable to conventional diesel trucks. The capacity of the two liquid hydrogen tanks has been increased compared to the first generation of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, so that a total of up to 85 kg of hydrogen can now be filled. Refueling is possible from both sides as both tanks are connected. Using the sLH2 refueling standard developed by Daimler Truck and Linde, the truck can be filled with liquid hydrogen within 10–15 minutes — as safe, fast, and simple as refueling today’s diesel trucks.

Transporting liquid hydrogen requires less logistical effort, and liquid hydrogen tanks offer cost and weight advantages over gaseous high-pressure tanks. These benefits enable higher payloads, making deployments comparable with today’s diesel trucks. Daimler Truck successfully demonstrated this at the end of 2023 during the #HydrogenRecordRun, when a Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck with a gross combined vehicle weight of around 40 tonnes covered 1,047 km on a single filling of liquid hydrogen.

Reliable and Efficient Fuel Cell Technology

The BZA150 fuel cell from cellcentric — a joint venture between Daimler Truck and Volvo Group — remains the heart of the NextGenH2 Truck’s drive system. Two fuel cell units operate as a twin system with a total system output of 300 kW (150 kW each) and are space-savingly integrated in the engine compartment beneath the cab. Over years of intensive testing, the hydrogen-powered drive concept has impressed with its reliability and efficiency under real world conditions. In early customer trials with the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck, hydrogen consumption, for example, averaged between 5.6 kg/100 km and 8 kg/100 km, with gross combined vehicle weights ranging between 16 and 34 tonnes.

In operation, the fuel cell generates electrical energy through the reaction between hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂). Together with a buffer battery, this powers the electric motors Page 3 integrated into the e-axle, delivering strong propulsion. The only emission from this process is pure water vapor.

Series Components Deliver a Technological Leap

The Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck impresses through high technological maturity, thanks in part to the use of state-of-the-art components from Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ series production vehicles. This includes the ProCabin — which is already offered in the Mercedes Benz Actros L and the battery-electric eActros 600 — now featured for the first time in a fuel cell truck. Thus, the NextGenH2 Truck benefits from a nine percent improvement [1] in the drag coefficient compared to the previous cab.

The NextGenH2 Truck offers a high-level driving experience, on par with its battery-electric counterpart, the eActros 600. Dynamic power delivery thanks to instantly available high torque, smooth and comfortable handling, and low in-cabin and exterior noise are well-known advantages that the fuel cell truck, as an electrically powered vehicle using hydrogen as its energy source, can fully exploit. Even in demanding driving situations such as steep gradients or high payloads, the truck delivers up to 340 kW in Economy Mode and up to 370 kW in Power Mode.

At the heart of the energy storage system is a high-voltage battery developed by Daimler Truck with an installed capacity of 101 kWh [2]. This lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery serves as a buffer for the fuel cell and stores energy during recuperation. The NextGenH2 Truck uses the same efficient in-house-developed electric drive axle as used in the eActros 600, with a 4-speed transmission (including two reverse gears) for optimal power delivery at all times.

Together, these components enable highly efficient energy recuperation when driving downhill or during braking, feeding regenerated electricity directly back into the buffer battery — noticeably extending overall range and improving consumption.

The high-voltage components and the latest E/E architecture are also carried over from the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600. Thus, the NextGenH2 Truck features the latest advanced safety systems such as Active Brake Assist 6, Front Guard Assist, and Active Sideguard Assist 2, as well as compliance with current cybersecurity standards.

Innovative Solutions Enhance Customer Usability

Customer trials of the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck provided valuable feedback for Daimler Truck’s development team, directly influencing improvements in the NextGenH2 Truck and further increasing customer benefit.

Thanks to an innovative and space-saving arrangement of components in the Tech Tower behind the cab, this area is now significantly more compact. As a result, the wheelbase has been shortened by 150 mm compared to the previous model to 4,000 mm. This increases Page 4 customer flexibility by enabling compatibility with various trailer combinations and a wide range of standard trailers within EU length regulations.

The Tech Tower also houses a new boil-off management system that meets all regulatory requirements for handling hydrogen, including parking the vehicle in enclosed spaces. An integrated cooling system ensures consistently stable operating conditions even at very high ambient temperatures or demanding terrain.

A new sensor system, which responds to the highly unlikely event of hydrogen leakage, now allows overnight stays in the truck’s two standard beds fitted in the cab. This increases comfort and flexible usability of the truck, especially for long-haul drivers on multi-day assignments.

Additionally, a newly designed side panel with integrated crash elements provides improved protection of the liquid hydrogen tanks in the event of an accident. The aerodynamically improved panel features practical tread plates, improving both safety and accessibility while reducing aerodynamic drag.

Testing and Funding of the NextGenH2 Truck

Last year, Daimler Truck tested prototypes of the Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 Truck under extreme conditions in the Swiss Alps — both during winter and summer trials — ensuring reliability under demanding operational scenarios. Insights gained from these tests are being incorporated directly into further development.

The development, production, and practical deployment of the NextGenH2 Trucks scheduled from the end of 2026 is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) and the federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg with in total €226 million. Series production of fuel cell trucks is targeted for the early 2030s.

Australian Comments: Andrew Assimo.

Daimler Truck Australia Pacific Vice President Sales, Marketing and Operations, Andrew Assimo, says it is exciting to see the news about the NextGenH2 introduction.

“The start of the Mercedes-Benz NextGenH2 production for European markets represents a major milestone for sustainable trucking,” he says.

“We have no immediate plans for its introduction in Australia, but that is certainly something we will consider as we watch its roll-out across Europe,” Mr Assimo adds.