South East arboriculture company Connick Tree Care has been running Isuzu trucks for over 14 years, operating them at both 3.5 tonne and 7.5 tonne GVW, and the Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire based company has recently added a further three new Isuzu 3.5 tonne Euro VI Grafter trucks to its 40-strong commercial vehicle fleet.
Fitted with specialist arb bodies built by Southern Vehicle Bodies, the new 70-plate Isuzu Grafters are now working for the company’s extensive customer base in London, the south-east and the Home Counties.
“Since we purchased our first Isuzu 14 years ago, we have not looked back. Never have we been with one vehicle manufacturer for so long, but Isuzu truly fits the bill and is the perfect truck for us at both the 3.5 tonne and 7.5 tonne weight range,” says Mike Connick, director, Connick Tree Care.
Mike continues, “Within the business, it is our policy to invest in quality equipment for all our staff and as far as our trucks are concerned, Isuzu provides us with a quality product that is not only robust in operation but also ticks our environmental requirements. Our typical daily working environment is tough and it demands a tough truck to survive. The Isuzus are worked really hard each day and with their custom arb bodies, they are ideally fit for purpose.
The three latest Isuzu Grafter N35.125 rigids feature specialist arb bodies that includes a spacious, cab mounted, full width toolbox, as well as a tipping body for the collection and transportation of wood chippings. Each Grafter tows its own specialist chipper and Connick Tree Care recycle all their wood chippings for use as biomass fuel.
It is estimated that Connick Tree Care will run the vehicles for anywhere between five and nine years, based on the reliable performance of their predecessors. Proving the reliability of the Isuzu marque, Connick Tree Care are currently still operating a long term 58-plate Isuzu in its fleet, with this truck continuing to undertake arb work on a daily basis for the company.
“Under quite arduous conditions, the Isuzus do what they say, they are economical to run, and the Grafter’s payload is as good as you can get on a 3.5 tonne truck,” says Mike Connick, “We work in many urban environments where space is at a premium and the Isuzu has proved to be more manoeuvrable in tight spaces, particularly within London. They have a great turning circle and finally, and probably most importantly, our drivers really do find them good to drive in these challenging locations.”
Family company Connick Tree Care are specialists in the preservation and maintenance of trees, with its head office located in Reigate, Surrey. Having been in business for over 35 years and currently employing over 60 staff, the company services commercial, domestic and term contract clients, including Royal Parks, English Heritage and many local authorities.
“At 3.5 tonne GVW, the Isuzu Grafter is the perfect truck for the arboriculture industry with many companies nationwide relying on its proven performance in extreme conditions. With Connick Tree Care, we have established a really strong working relationship between our two companies over many years now, which is borne out by the length of time that the company has been running our trucks in its fleet,” said Lee Tansley, national fleet sales manager, Isuzu Truck UK.
