As part of a planned fleet expansion programme, tool hire company The Hireman has switched its latest fleet acquisitions at 3.5 tonne to Isuzu for the first time, with six new Isuzu Grafter dropside rigid trucks making their debut in the company’s 35 strong distribution fleet.
According to managing director Neil Graham, ”The Isuzu Grafter has really captured our attention for many reasons. As well as being fully Euro VI compliant, which is essential here in London, the Grafter stood out in terms of having a compact footprint yet provides an excellent payload of over 1 tonne. Also, and quite uniquely, it does not require Ad Blue.”
Neil continues, “In this GVW category, the Grafter’s compact cab means we can have a longer loading space for the tools and equipment that we carry, whilst the lack of Ad Blue eliminates many of the problems that we were having with the incumbent vehicles now being replaced.”
The Isuzu Grafter N35.125 trucks are fitted with bespoke TGS dropside bodies and rear tail lifts as standard. The Hireman has also specified air-conditioning in the cab for the drivers, as well as the popular Easyshift automatic transmission, which combined makes it a welcome and pleasant driving experience for the company’s delivery drivers in the heavy London traffic.
Destined to operate in The Hireman fleet for up to seven years, covering 20,000 miles per annum per truck, the new Isuzu Grafter rigids have been well received by the company and are performing well, delivering tools and equipment to construction sites in London and the Home Counties.
“Now that we have these six Grafters working daily within our fleet for a while, the decision to switch to Isuzu for the first time has certainly been vindicated as we are extremely pleased with their operational performance out on the road. Isuzu will definitely be on our shopping list for future 3.5 tonne and 7.5 tonne fleet acquisitions,” commented Neil Graham.
The Hireman is a family run business established over 35 years ago, with its head office in Bermondsey, and currently operating through additional depots in Canning Town, Wembley and Croydon.
“The building and construction industry has really taken to the Isuzu Grafter since it was first launched, and this sector has become a core market for us every year. More and more companies, such as The Hireman, are now enjoying the proven benefits of running Grafters as they are a perfect fit for the demanding operational requirements of this industry,” said Lee Tansley, national fleet sales manager, Isuzu Truck UK.
