GLOUCESTERSHIRE: Hale & Co has acquired the latest Isuzu 18-tonner for its nine-strong delivery fleet.
The vehicle is the first 300-horsepower, 18 tonner sold by Isuzu in the UK, and joins a nine-vehicle main distribution fleet that includes five Isuzu 7.5-tonners.
The 9-tonne payload, a tonne more than the vehicle it replaced, clinched the purchase, said Martin Nealon, transport and sales manager at Hale.
"Having run Isuzus at 7.5 tonne for some time, we were well aware of their proven payload advantage that has become so important to us for our delivery operation. When the time came to replace our old 18 tonner we had no hesitation in specifying our first Isuzu at this weight," he said.
Local Isuzu dealer Walls Truck Services in Newport supplied the new Isuzu F180.300 4x2 rigid. The truck has a 300bhp Isuzu turbo intercooled 6-cylinder diesel power unit driving through a 9-speed ZF manual transmission.
The vehicle has an 18ft dropside body and rear-mounted Atlas crane. It is used for distribution work within a 50-mile radius of the company's depot in Drybrook, Gloucestershire. The company anticipates that the Isuzu will be covering some 20 000km each year, over a working life of approximately 9 years.
