Canter Delivers Fuel For Thought

Coal merchant Taylor Frith (Runcorn) has to make hay when the sun doesn’t shine – that’s why its new 7.5-tonne Mitsubishi Canter will be on the road six and even seven days a week throughout the winter.

Managing Director Derek Hardley could not be happier with his new vehicle, which has replaced an ageing Dodge 7.5-tonner and lined up alongside two 3.5-tonne Nissans.

Mr Hardley, whose wife Gill and son Ian are both directors in the family business, says: "The Canter is beautifully smooth and quiet, as well as being compact and highly manoeuvrable, which is a major plus point because access to many of the places to which we deliver is quite restricted."

Taylor Frith also has a retail outlet in Regent Street, Runcorn, half a mile from its yard, where it sells solid fuel fireplaces, multi-fuel stoves and parts.

"We deliver coal to private and commercial customers within a 30-mile radius of Runcorn, which includes Liverpool, the Wirrall and Chester, as well as more rural areas," says Mr Hardley.

"As usual, we’re proving very busy throughout the winter months. The Canter gives us an excellent payload of around 4,300kgs, which equates to 86 sacks of coal – that’s five more than we used to get on our old Dodge and a useful improvement in productivity."

Taylor Frith’s new Canter was supplied by Liverpool dealer Road Range. Mr Hardley continues: "The annual mileage won’t be that high so we’ll be looking for a 15-year life from our new Canter.

"Everything we’ve heard about Mitsubishi reliability suggests that it will last the pace, and when our Nissans come up for renewal we’ll also be looking to change them for 3.5-tonne Canter 35s."