This Mercedes SLT 250 ton-carrying truck will make you drool

If you don’t have a license to drive a big-rig tractor, the new Mercedes-Benz Actros-SLT tractor will cause you to want to consider changing careers. Even if it isn’t offered in the U.S., it would be worth moving to Europe just to be able to drive this “jewel-in-the-crown” of truck engineering.  We don’t usually cover trucks here at Torque News, but this is just too good to pass up.
 
Most of us will never drive a big rig like the new 2014 Mercedes-Benz Actros-SLT tractor, but it may make you want to consider a different career as a truck driver. We know Mercedes makes the most luxurious cars on the planet like the new S-Class that can self-drive, but we don’t generally think of big trucks as “luxurious.” 
 
This is a new family of Mercedes-Benz trucks for heavy-duty transport and is available for the first time as the variant Actros-SLT. It features an air-suspension ride so the driver doesn’t feel those bumps in the road for long cross-country hauls. It also comes in the Arocs variant and is available with all-wheel drive for hauling over mountain passes.
 
This heavy-duty truck is capable of handling loads of up to 250 tons. It gets the most powerful variant of the new OM 473 Euro VI in-line six-cylinder engine that develops 625 hp and a massive 2212 lb ft of torque. This engine develops lots of heat but the driver stays cool by the high-performance cooling system behind the cab. The cooling system is concealed by elegantly designed flaps on the sides that give the Actros or Arocs cab a distinctive and dynamic appearance.
 
The automated Mercedes PowerShift 3 transmission features a "Heavy" transmission mode and is designed for high torque to handle those massive loads. But you might want to brush up on your shifting skills. The SLT is the only vehicle in the field of competitors that has a 16-speed transmission and consequently the finest gear ratio spread in the heavy-duty transport sector.
 
Drivers of these big rigs spend much of their working time behind the wheel driving long distances and taking breaks is important. The custom cab offers a comfortable sleeper for those forced breaks.  
 
If your’e ready to get behind the wheel of this new SLT heavy-duty transport, it can be ordered from any European Mercedes-Benz truck dealer beginning immediately. Delivery of the basic chassis for the Actros-SLT with air suspension and the Arocs-SLT with steel suspension begins in December 2013. The all-wheel-drive variants of the Arocs-SLT are available from April 2014. 

Torque News brings you everything Mercedes-Benz that is cool or just too good to pass up.