Fresh fruit
Wherever the name “Der Obstbauer Haller” appears, there are delicious strawberries inside – this is certainly the case with the fruit farm’s brand new MAN TGS 26.430 refrigerated truck.
Sweet, but not overly sweet and with a hint of caramel. Lake Constance strawberries from the fruit grower Rolf Haller really do taste as good as they look on the colourful lamination of the new MAN TGS 26.430. The three-axle, 26-tonne truck with refrigerated body delivers the freshly harvested fruit from Haller’s fruit farm in Horgenzell, near Ravensburg, straight to the central warehouses of various large supermarket chains.
In the high season, the 100-hectare strawberry fields yield around 25 tonnes of the red fruit every day, which need to be packed up and transported quickly. Freshness is vital, so a reliable truck is a must. Rolf Haller puts his trust in MAN because their trucks are so reliable: “We bought a used MAN a few years ago and have never had any problems with it and our MAN workshop, Natterer GmbH in Weingarten, always does a great job.”
The entrepreneur has often rented an additional MAN truck when there was a necessity for it: “Our drivers have always been very happy with them and since their opinion is of paramount importance in this respect seeing as they are the ones who are out on the road in them, we decided to get a new MAN when we were expanding our fleet recently.”
The fully air-suspended MAN TGS 26.430 is equipped with a latest-generation MAN D26 engine, providing 430 hp (316 kW) from 12.4 litres of displacement. The automated MAN TipMatic 12-speed gearbox in the MAN TGS, which is tailored to the specific needs of the engine, ensures even greater efficiency and driving comfort. For example, the Idle Speed Driving gearbox function allows the driver to manoeuvre the vehicle gently and precisely at a consumption-friendly idling speed. EfficientRoll, on the other hand, helps the driver to drive efficiently when out on the road, because the automatic shift into the neutral position occurs more quickly. The truck rolls without the engine braking effect reducing the driving speed.
The automatic gearbox of the MAN TGS features certain driving programmes that are suited to its various operation purposes. The Efficiency+ programme is perfectly suited to the MAN TGS, as the truck often covers long distances on normal roads without making any stops. This programme is particularly economic and low-wear as it only permits typical “long-haul transport vehicle handling” such as manual switching in certain cases and it does not respond to a kickdown with an accelerated down-change. If, on the other hand, the MAN TGS is loaded right next to the strawberry field and is away from the road for this reason, the driver can count on the “Performance” programme, which gives them greater engine power and traction for a short time, or they can select the Manoeuvre variant, which allows them to adjust the power input in an optimum manner even when driving slowly. They can control all of the functions conveniently using the new MAN TipMatic stalk switch.
With its size NN cab, the MAN TGS is set up perfectly for local and distribution transport. Narrow, medium-long and shallow, the NN cab offers both a weight advantage and generous storage space for single-day delivery trips. The new multifunction steering wheel with its parking position creates additional space for getting in and out of the vehicle, and the air-sprung driver’s comfort seat with lumbar support and adjustable shoulder position is both ergonomic and comfortable.
The driver’s workplace in the MAN TGS is equipped with one of the highlights of the new MAN Truck Generation: The MAN SmartSelect with touchpad. The rotary pushbutton control for infotainment control makes operating the built-in MAN media system Navigation Advanced with its 7-inch display easy and distraction-free, even while driving.
Driver Dalibor Jona immediately agrees that the decision to go with MAN was a very good one. He drives the MAN TGS within a radius of about 200 kilometres. In addition to strawberries, he transports asparagus, apples and other pomaceous and stone fruits from his own cultivation farm. His tours take him to Freiburg, Stuttgart and sometimes to the Austrian Vorarlberg region, depending on where the orders come in from.
“I’m very happy with my MAN. It goes without saying that it’s full of new technology, but the functions are designed to be highly intuitive, meaning you can get to grips with them very quickly. In particular, I really like the MAN SmartSelect system and I like the fact that the MAN TGS feels robust and safe to drive.”
Other features of the MAN TGS include the Emergency Brake Assist EBA in the version offered by MAN Truck & Bus that cannot be switched off, the Lane Departure Warning system LDW and the Video Turn System VAS, which is available as a retrofittable option and assists the driver in complex situations such as turning by means of a camera on the co-driver’s side plus an additional monitor on the co-driver’s A-pillar.