Builders’ merchant Chelmsford Plastic Warehouse has just received its newest 3.5-tonne (3.9-U.S.-ton) FUSO Canter light truck, a 130-horsepower (96-kilowatt) 3C13 model with bodywork by KMR Engineering of Hadleigh, Ipswich. FUSO and Mercedes-Benz dealer Motus Truck & Van supplied the new delivery truck and will bring another in the spring.
“We were running another type of vehicle prior to 2017, but then we bought our first Canter and have never looked back,” says Chelmsford Finance Manager Sandra Garratt. “It’s a better truck all round, and a lot more reliable, as well as being a great value. For the money you get a really good truck.”
On-Site Delivery Duty
Chelmsford Plastic Warehouse operates a fleet of eight Canters between its Chelmsford, Essex, headquarters (six trucks) and its Benfleet, Essex, branch location (two Canters). Its new 3C13 has a 3.0-litre common-rail turbodiesel good for 300 newton-metres (221 pounds-foot) of torque at 1,300 to 3,000 rpm. Its transmission is a five-speed manual.
“The 67-plated vehicle we’ve just stood down to make way for the new truck had covered more than 130,000 miles but given us no trouble at all,” Garratt says. “We were really pleased, too, with the price we sold it for.”
Chelmsford uses its FUSO Canters to deliver building materials such as plastic fascia, timber, roofing slate, fencing, and sheet goods throughout South East England. The trucks’ strength, durability, and ladder-frame chassis make it a natural choice over the many vans available in the same weight class.
“We work our vehicles hard,” says Garratt. “They venture regularly onto rough building sites to make their deliveries, and come in for plenty of abuse. But experience has shown that over a three- or four-year life the Canters stand up to the punishment really well.
“The drivers like them too, not least because the Canter is very manoeuvrable thanks to its tight turning circle,” Garratt continues. “That’s a big advantage when we’re delivering in residential streets or on busy sites.”
The New FUSO Canter
Production of a new Canter model will begin in December 2021. The latest iteration of the light-duty truck comes with a redesigned cab, an EU Stage VI–Step E engine, a maintenance-free diesel particulate filter (DPF), new safety and comfort features, and the new Sideguard Assist option that detects unseen bikes and other vehicles on the passenger side of the truck.
The Japanese-designed, Portuguese-built Canter is available in 3.5-, 6.5-, 7.5-, and 8.55-t (3.9-, 7.2-, 8.3-, and 9.4-U.S.-t) weight classes with single, crew, and double cabs. Power levels of 130 to 175 HP (96 to 130 kilowatts) are available, as is a hybrid diesel/electric drive on select models. FUSO offers the Canter with Duonic fully automated or manual transmissions, as well as an optional crawl function and Hill Start Assist feature.
Find The Right Mitsubishi FUSO Truck
Truck Locator offers for-sale listings for scores of new and used Canter trucks for sale under the Mitsubishi FUSO brand. FUSO is distributed in the UK by Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
Source: Mercedes-Benz