Moorhouse Brewery
Real ale brewery Moorhouse’s kept the drinks flowing throughout the busy Christmas and New Year period, helped by its first FUSO Canter.
With its combination of class-leading payload and compact exterior dimensions, the 7.5-tonner has already proved a valuable addition to the Burnley-based brewer’s fleet.
The Canter 7C15 arrived via Lancashire and Cumbria Mercedes-Benz Dealer Ciceley Commercials – the German manufacturer’s franchised UK network also sells and supports the popular FUSO light truck range in Britain. The Dealer is inspecting and servicing the vehicle under a Repair and Maintenance Contract, at its Blackburn workshop.
“Ciceley delivered the vehicle just in time for our busiest period of the year, so we threw it in at the deep end and it’s performed brilliantly,” enthused Transport Manager David Foley.
The light yet durable chassis is fitted with a curtainside body by Fosters Commercials, of Preston, and offers a highly impressive carrying capacity of 4.2-tonnes.
“We can load our new Canter with no fewer than 82 nine-gallon casks,” said Mr Foley. “For a vehicle of this size that’s excellent. It’s more than three times what we could manage in a 3.5-tonne van, which takes up almost as much road space, and also far ahead of the payload capacity of a traditional – and far heavier – 7.5-tonne truck.”
He continued: “The Canter’s manoeuvrability and relatively compact dimensions mean it’s also well suited to making deliveries to some of the city centre pubs that we service, where access can be very tight.”
Moorhouse’s fleet also includes a pair of Mercedes-Benz Atego 12-tonners and a 3.5-tonne Sprinter van, as well as two trucks by another manufacturer.
The Canter is powered by a 110 kW (150 hp) variant of the 3.0-litre four-cylinder engine which is also available in 96 kW (130 hp) and 129 kW (175 hp) ratings.
“We did a lot of homework before ordering the Canter,” added Mr Foley. “I visited another brewery to see a similar truck in action and was very impressed. Although we’re new to the FUSO brand, we were also reassured by the fact that it would be supplied by Ciceley Commercials, a supplier we have come to know and trust, and which provides a very high level of service.”
The Canter is the subject of an Agility funding package from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Agility offers all the benefits of conventional hire purchase with a Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) – including low monthly repayments – but gives operators extra options at the end of the term. The customer can choose whether to pay off the final lump sum and keep the vehicle, use the vehicle as a part exchange for a brand new one, or return it free of any further obligations, apart from an excess mileage charge if the initially agreed limit has been exceeded, and damage charges over and above fair wear and tear.
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