TRANSPORT AND MATERIALS HANDLING
DRIVING A SOLID REPUTATION
The flexibility to deliver to tricky urban sites or along narrow rural lanes is vital for a merchant’s commercial vehicle fleet. BMJ finds out what things merchants are looking for.
W and ability.
One manufacturer and distributor building a loyal following is Isuzu Truck UK. It offers a range of vehicles designed to meet the demands of the industry, from the 3.5-tonne ‘Grafter’, through options at 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5-tonnes, alongside heavier duty trucks at both 11 and 13.5-tonnes.
Having established partnerships with bodybuilders across the UK, Isuzu Truck UK is also able to offer the building trade a wealth of customisable options aimed at delivering great payload capacity, mounted to a chassis that’s tough, yet agile and manoeuvrable.
Big things: small packages With space on the road increasingly at a premiumm, smaller trucks are becoming a more popular choice for some operators. But does that mean practicality, payload, and performance suffer?
Main Line Timber recently opted to bolster its 3.5-tonne fleet with a new Isuzu. Emily Gascoigne, Main Line’s head of sales and marketing, explains: “We continue to come back to Isuzu as they’re reliable, durable and versatile.
hen choosing vehicles for their business, builders’ merchants place significant weight behind reliability, payload performance
We love the Grafter as any of our staff can drive them, they have a great payload and deliveries in tight and inaccessible spots are made safer and more efficient.”
Of course, the sector often demands more capacity than a vehicle like the Grafter can provide, but that doesn’t mean it has to be oversized or unwieldy.
“We have been looking at ways to make our truck fleet more agile and efficient,” says Mark Phillips, managing director of Cardiff- based Llandaff Laminates, which made the switch to Isuzu with a new 7.5-tonne rigid. “With the Isuzu, we got a smaller and lighter truck than the 7.5-tonner it replaced, without having to compromise too much on payload – a combination that makes customer deliveries more cost effective.
“This is also the first time we’ve been able to specify the body design from scratch, which has allowed us to maximise the space and ensure we’re still able to carry our full range of products.”
The 7.5-tonne Isuzu N75 combines a compact footprint on the road with a lightweight build, delivering up to an extra 750kg payload capacity versus other vehicles in this weight category – which can be a huge advantage. Moving up, a similar advantage can be gained when looking at the manufacturer’s heavier truck range.
Chalford Building Supplies in the Cotswolds also saw the benefit of down-sizing, and recently took delivery of its first Isuzu F110 model. “This was primarily so we can deliver to some of the more inaccessible locations we’re called to,” says managing director, Matthew Creed. “However, it still needs to have the payload capacity to carry the full range of building supplies we offer – and we find the Isuzu 11-tonner fits the bill perfectly.”
A build for builders
Cost-effective operational efficiency is a driving factor for any builders’ merchant making fleet decisions, so the ability to fully customise a truck’s design can be a game-changer. Working directly with a bodybuilder makes it easier for businesses to adapt a vehicle to their exact needs, whether it’s specifying a box body to carry materials or opting for a dropside configuration, and then adding a crane for easy loading and unloading.
Sean Matthews, group supply chain director at MAC Roofing & Contracting, explains how this versatility supported the growth of the business with its first ever 7.5-tonne Isuzu: “The aluminium building materials we produce are bulky, so we needed a vehicle that could be customised to fit the materials, without compromising on reliability. Isuzu gives us the flexibility and payload we needed to support our manufacturing operation as it grows.”
All about the aftersales Trucks in this industry are expected to work as hard – if not harder – than the builders they supply, as they’re pretty much working flat out every single day, and not parked up whilst the build is underway. This means aftersales support is even more of a priority, with warranties playing a significant role in the decision-making process.
With all Isuzu truck chassis supplied with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty, Isuzu has built a solid reputation in the industry for looking after its customers, offering round-the- clock roadside assistance, access to a dedicated Customer CARE team and an extensive dealer network across England, Scotland and Wales. “The aftersales support and warranty Isuzu provides was a deciding factor when we were choosing our new vehicle,” says Matthews. And though Chalford Building Supplies only operates a single Isuzu, Creed adds: “From the beginning we have always received an incredible level of service and support, they give us the same attention and care you would expect as a major fleet customer.”
The fleet needs of builders’ merchants continue to revolve around dependable versatility, with a focus on payload capacity, bespoke builds, operational efficiency and consistent aftersales support.
For truck manufacturers like Isuzu, the ability to deliver that helps to provide the foundations on which long-lasting relationships across the sector can be built. BMJ
36
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net October 2025
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