Euro 5 Fuso Canter fleet digs in for Gallagher
Utilities contractor T&K Gallagher is aiming high by going low with a new fleet of 13 Fuso Canter light trucks.
A significant factor in the decision to choose the 7.5-tonne Canter was its low loading height.
Gallagher Director Vincent O’Connor said: “The Fuso has a lower body than our previous 7.5-tonners, which makes life far safer and easier for our employees by reducing the need for them to climb onto the rear of the vehicles.”
The Canter 7C15s were supplied by Bradford Mercedes-Benz dealer Northside Truck & Van – the German manufacturer’s network is responsible for sale and support of the popular Fuso range in the UK.
Northside sold the vehicles to rental specialist Leeds Commercial, which has provided them to Gallagher on a three-year contract hire basis. Since adding the first 10 Canters to its fleet, Gallagher has returned with an order for five more, identical vehicles.
All are powered by Euro 5 engines that meet not only the latest mandatory emissions limits but also the more stringent, and voluntary, EEV (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) standard.
The Canter was chosen jointly by Leeds Commercial and Gallagher, after careful market research.
Chris Miller, Managing Director of Leeds Commercial, said: “The Fuso Canter is competitively priced and has a list of attributes that make it ideally suited to this application. As well as the low loading height that Gallagher required, its compact dimensions mean it can manoeuvre easily in residential streets and has a low visual impact.”
Vincent O’Connor added: “The 7.5-tonne Canter chassis also offers the best payload in its class – our trucks are fitted with Thompson insulated tipper bodies with chutes, for transporting road surfacing materials, as well as lockable toolboxes, steps and handrails to aid safe boarding, but they can still carry loads of up to 3,600kg each.
“We’re very impressed with the vehicles and with the service from Leeds Commercial. Sales Manager Paul Bumford at their Manchester depot put in a lot of groundwork to get the specification just right for our needs.”
T&K Gallagher is a ‘tier one’ sub-contractor and runs a fleet of 150 commercial vehicles across its utility business and GTM, its traffic management division. The company has a turnover of approximately £30 million and operates from depots in Manchester and Derby, providing a strategic service to major utility contractors.
Leeds Commercial offers around 1,500 vehicles to its customers on ‘spot’ rental and contract hire terms. Its fleet extends from light vans to heavy trucks and includes a wide selection of tipper-grabs, which typically work for utility contractors and local authorities. Based in Leeds, the company also has depots in Bradford and Manchester.
