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24 Apr

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Eather Group sustainability push includes Mercedes-Benz truck

A Sydney-based trucking and construction company has made a key sustainability step forward with a Mercedes-Benz Actros.

The family-run Eather Group has a focus on construction and major infrastructure projects, haulage, bulk material management and land rehabilitation and it recently rolled out the first stage of its Green Transport Plan.

The first step of this initiative was to purchase an efficient Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Actros 2658 to join conventional trucks in the fleet that don’t meet the same standards for emissions or fuel economy.

“We are always looking at what we can do better, especially from a sustainability perspective,” says Eather Group Marketing Manager, Divinia Eather (pictured above left, with Sally-ann and Peter Eather).

“We are not ready for electric (trucks) yet, but Euro 6 is the basis for our next step and that is something we can do straight away and it makes a big difference.”

The plan to look to the future with the Eather Group fleet also extends to safety.

This is especially important due to the high level of safety features required for Eather Group to work on major government infrastructure projects. It also expects that these standards will only become stricter in the future.

Eather Group has added a lot of third-party safety features for its trucks and trailers, but the Actros also comes with a full suite of integrated active safety features that are standard.

“Safety is really important to us, so the safety tech built into the truck is really next level,” Divinia says.

“The fact the Actros is so comfortable and quiet also means that the driver is less fatigued and that is also important,” she adds.

The 2658 uses a 16-litre six-cylinder engine teamed with a 12-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). Data shows the Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz is recording the best fuel economy in the Eather Group fleet, which is otherwise made up of conventional American-style trucks.

The driver of the new Mercedes-Benz is Rob Matuszewski, who was a lifelong fan of another truck brand in the Eather Group fleet.

That said, he is more than happy to be driving the 2658.

“After a day in the Actros he said: “Don’t put me back in the other truck, I’m staying in this one”,” Divinia says.

She says part of its appeal is the comfort: “Rob said the work takes much less of a toll on him in the Actros than the other trucks.”

Eather Group was established in 2010 by husband-and-wife duo Peter and Sally-ann Eather. It employs more than 40 people and has a fleet of more than 20 trucks, in addition to an array of earthmoving equipment.

The company has an ethos of creating opportunities for people who are underrepresented in the industry.

“Our team has always been diverse because we give people a go,” Divinia says.

“The industry average is 13 per cent female, with just two per cent actually on the tools. Currently, in our business, 36 per cent including four female drivers and three female machine operators.”

Importantly, 28 per cent of employees at Eather Group are involved in on-job learning and upskilling.