FM Conway orders Fuso Canter trucks to operate in London's Low Emission Zone

FM Conway, based in Dartford, Kent, has ordered 31 Canter 7C15s trucks to work on its portfolio of maintenance contracts with borough councils across the capital. The new fleet of clean, 'green' 7.5-tonne Fuso Canters will be used in London's Low Emission Zone.

Supplied by local Mercedes-Benz dealer Sparshatts of Kent, they are powered by 3.0-litre diesel engines which meet not only Euro 5 emissions limits but also the more stringent – and voluntary – EEV (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) standard.

The Canters are fitted with steel tipping bodies by Abba Commercials, of Dover, which offer class-leading loading height. Allied to the Canter’s low riding chassis, this makes life easier for Conway’s work crews.

The hydraulic tipping gear, meanwhile, is by Manchester-based Hyva UK. A new model specially designed for the 7.5-tonne gvw market, the Hyva FC77 is electrically operated, and lighter than its predecessor. It features the same external sealing technology as Hyva’s larger 26- and 32-tonne tipping gear, thereby offering operators of light trucks the same standards of performance and reliability.

The 7.5-tonne Canter offers a market-leading payload capacity thanks to its light yet rugged ladder-frame chassis. The additional use of light-weight bodies and tipping gear mean FM Conway’s first Fusos can carry a full half-tonne more than the trucks they have replaced.

FM Conway Plant & Transport Director Steve Hart said: “Like anyone operating in central London, we have to make sure the vehicles we run meet the LEZ emissions regulations not just now, but into the future. These Canters represent the state-of-the-art in terms of environmentally-friendly 7.5-tonne truck operation. Their compact dimensions are an advantage when working in narrow streets and heavy traffic, and the equipment we’ve fitted has also been carefully chosen for this application.”

FM Conway is a long-standing operator of Mercedes-Benz chassis supplied by Sparshatts of Kent, and Mr Hart added: “These Canters represent something of a departure for us but they were competitively priced and look to be perfectly specified for the job. This company is committed to developing ‘green’ working initiatives and these new Fuso Canters represent another, significant step towards our goal of reducing our carbon footprint.”