After seeing an advertisement by dealer Euro Commercials for Fuso Canters with tree surgeons’ bodies, pre-built and available from stock, Kerr flew to Cardiff to see the vehicles. He agreed a price for the first two; the dealer carried out a few requested modifications and then delivered both to LJX in Scotland.
So impressed was Kerr with the dealer’s service, he soon confirmed his order for a third.
“The fact that there are 400 miles between us hasn’t been a problem,” he says. “Euro Commercials have been able to provide us with the right trucks at the right price, and, crucially, within the very short timeframes that have allowed us to maintain service levels to our own customers – we’d have waited a lot longer if the vehicles had to be built from scratch.”
The latest addition is a 3.5-tonne Canter 3C13. It joins another of the same model and a 7.5-tonne Canter 7C15. All are powered by 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engines with fully automated, dual-clutch Duonic transmissions.
The Canters are fitted with high-sided tipping bodies designed for arboricultural applications and have lockable tool boxes behind the Comfort day cabs.
“The Canter also has three full-sized seats,” says Kerr. “This gives it a big advantage over one of its few competitors, which only has a small seat in the centre, because it means we can send a team out, and they can all travel in safety and comfort.
“The Canter is ideal, too, in terms of its size. We hold a major contract with a local authority’s highways department, and the truck’s relatively small footprint is very useful in enabling us to get up and down narrow streets.”
He adds: “Unlike most vehicles in its weight segment, the 3.5-tonne Canter is not based on a van, so isn’t too flimsy for the job. Instead, it’s a proper little truck. The 7.5-tonner, meanwhile, is highly productive, thanks to its fantastic payload potential.”