Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), which manufactures the BharatBenz brand of trucks and buses, has handed over the first trucks  upgraded to meet the new axle load regulations. The milestone was celebrated at customer events in Chennai and Jaipur.

　　The OEM says the first two upgraded BharatBenz models – a 55-tonne tractor and a 28-tonne rigid truck – are now commercially available at its dealerships across India. In addition, DICV says it will also upgrade its entire portfolio to meet the new axle load regulations in a staggered approach.

　　Rajaram Krishnamurthy, vice-president, Marketing and Sales, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said: “At BharatBenz, we are proud to be the first in our industry to hand over a 55-tonne truck with best-in-class GVW. Rajasthan is India’s largest tractor-trailer market, so we see great potential for this powerful workhorse. Our 28-tonne rigid is our second new model under the new axle load norms; we will upgrade all our truck models step by step.”

　　The Bharat Benz 5528T tractor succeeds the popular BharatBenz 4928T tractor, which the company says offers an additional permissible capacity of 6 tonnes under the new axle load regulations. With a best-in-class GWV (gross vehicle weight) of 55 tonnes, it is targeted at applications like cement bags, bulkers, steel coils, tankers and other heavy load transportation.

　　The BharatBenz 2823R rigid truck is targeted at long-haulage and comes with two loading span options (24ft, 32ft), catering to a wide range of applications like parcel and logistics, petroleum tanker, auto components, or fisheries.