Fuso Canter smoothes the way for The Preparation Group
A leading surface preparation and removal specialist is benefiting from a 500kg-per truck payload advantage after switching to a new fleet of 7.5-tonne Fuso Canters.
Lincoln-based The Preparation Group, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary in business, has bought five Canter 7C18s from local Mercedes-Benz dealer H&L Garages – the German manufacturer’s UK dealer network also sells and supports the popular Japanese light truck range.
The vehicles are used to transport equipment to and from sites all over the UK. All are powered by low-emission 180hp 3.0-litre diesel engines that meet not only Euro 5 emissions limits but also the more stringent – and voluntary – EEV (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) standard.
McComb Coachwork, of nearby Tattershall, fitted four of the new trucks with box bodies and tail-lifts, while the fifth is a beavertail curtainsider with a powered back door that also serves as a ramp.
The Preparation Group began life as a surface preparation contractor, removing, preparing, polishing and cleaning a multitude of internal and external surfaces across a wide range of sectors. In 1997, having accumulated vast experience and knowledge from this work, the company began to market its own range of shotblasting, planing, multi-stripping and grinding machines.
Today, its PPC Contracting division is the largest in Europe, while The Preparation Group also offers the widest range of equipment and accessories for the international market.
“The 7.5-tonne Canter’s unrivalled carrying capacity has given us a payload on the box-bodied trucks of 3.6 tonnes,” confirmed Managing Director Tracey Glew. “That’s about half a tonne more than we could get on our previous vehicles and, as some of our plant and equipment is very heavy, represents a significant improvement in productivity and efficiency.”
The box-bodied trucks have on-board generators fuelled from 90-litre tanks that were fitted to the chassis by H&L Garages, which power the equipment used by PPC Contracting’s expert operatives. The curtainsider, meanwhile, transports self-propelled machines which are driven on and off the back of the truck via the ramp.
“Weight was certainly the key issue,” confirmed Tracey Glew, “but we were also very conscious of the need for reliability – because our customers rely on us to turn up on time – as well of our fuel costs and of the environmental compatibility of our new vehicles.
“The Canter enjoys an excellent reputation for reliability and durability, while its competitive fuel consumption figures and low-emission engine meant it ticked both of these boxes as well.”
The Preparation Group’s previous truck fleet was the subject of a lease agreement but it has purchased its new Canters outright, taking advantage of a special low rate (1.75 per cent) deal from in-house commercial vehicle finance specialist Mercedes-Benz CharterWay.
Although it has not operated Fuso Canters before, The Preparation Group has bought Mercedes-Benz vans from H&L Garages for a number of years and currently runs a couple of Vito models which are used by its sales division.
