Fuso Canter gets a stamp of approval
Liverpool-based independent mail company Secured Mail has received a first class delivery of its own, in the shape of five Fuso Canter light trucks.
Powered by low-emission Euro 5 engines which also meet the even more stringent, and voluntary EEV (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) standard, the 7.5-tonne Canter 7C18s arrived via city Mercedes-Benz dealer Road Range Commercials – the Fuso range is sold and supported in the UK by the German manufacturer’s commercial vehicle network.
They are the subject of a three-year contract hire deal with Mercedes-Benz CharterWay, a commercial vehicle brand of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.
The Canters represent a new class of vehicle for Secured Mail – the company already has 20 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans as well as six other 7.5-tonne trucks.
The Canter, though, offers ‘the best of both worlds’. The vehicle’s compact design means its ‘footprint’ is not much larger than that of a Sprinter van, while its light yet rugged chassis gives it a payload capacity unmatched in the 7.5-tonne gross weight category.
“We needed vehicles that were not too large and cumbersome, but still offered a competitive payload,” said Secured Mail Service Engineer Paul Bowers.
The Canters are fitted with box bodies by Ken Rosebury, of Oldham, and DEL 1.0-tonne tail-lifts, which make the loading and unloading of wheeled cages safer, quicker and easier.
“Yet we’re still able comfortably to carry 3.5 tonnes on each of these vehicles, which is quite outstanding,” continued Mr Bowers. “The Canter ticks all of our boxes while Road Range have been helpful and professional, and the contract hire rates from Mercedes-Benz CharterWay are extremely competitive. We’re delighted with the whole package.”
Secured Mail was established in 2004, after being granted a licence to handle bulk mail deliveries. Operating from the Aintree Racecourse Business Park, the company visits 63 inward mail centres on a daily basis and offers customers a nationwide delivery service.
