Capital Equipment News May 2018

LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLE

peace of mind. “We also have a plug-and- play solution for bodybuilders in place, ensuring there is no cutting and joining of wires as Power and Signal plugs are supplied,” says Matseba. Success story Laser Transport, a specialist furniture removal business was one of the first recipients of the FE4-130TF in the local market, after taking delivery of three units late last year. “Our core business is furniture removals, both household and office removals,” explains Noel Goldman of Laser Transport. The three FE4-130TF joined Laser Transport’s large fleet of 527 vehicles and trailers. The company’s fleet comprises 79 truck tractors, mostly the Mercedes-Benz Axor 1835 models; 31 x 8 t rigids including FUSO units; 46 x 4 t rigids (FUSO FE7-136s introduced in 2007); as well as the three new FE4-130TF units. The balance of the fleet is made up of LDVs, cars, trailers and forklifts. The reason for purchasing the new FE4- 130TF is that Laser Transport recently saw a big need for this size of a truck, mainly due to increased numbers of people moving into gated complexes in South Africa. Previously, Laser’s vehicles could not enter into these complexes due to height, weight and width restrictions on vehicles allowed in these facilities. “For the past five years we have been speaking to various manufacturers in search of a vehicle that could fit our needs. No manufacturer could offer us a vehicle that could give us the maximum height, length and width we required, until FUSO, after listening to us, came up with the FE4-130TF,” says Goldman. “When we saw the length of the vehi- cle, we knew that it was the answer to our needs. With its height, we get double the amount of volume we were doing with our previous vehicles. Furniture removal is all about volume and not so much weight.” Laser Transport, together with FUSO Trucks Southern Africa, went on to design the body that met Laser’s specifications. “FUSO walked this journey with us from start to finish. No other manufacturer could go that far to meet our needs,” says Goldman. He believes the FE4-130TF numbers will continue to grow in Laser Transport’s fleet. “We have a total of 15 branches across the country, and I foresee each branch having three to four units because there is a big demand for it country-wide, driven by the continued growth of gated communities.”

“This is a world first in trucks. We are the first and only OEM that has so far introduced a wet-type clutch transmission on a truck. The advanced transmission earns its reputation because of its great fuel consumption and easy driving like a passenger car”

Mpho Matseba, Marketing Manager, FUSO Trucks Southern Africa

“No other manufacturer could offer us a vehicle that could give us the maximum height, length and width we required, until FUSO, after listening to us, came up with the FE4-130TF.”

Noel Goldman, Laser Transport

TALKING POINTS

The FE4-130TF allows for up to 50 body variations, making it a go-anywhere vehicle that can be deployed in various distribution applications.

for example, when manoeuvring in stop-and- go traffic, while hill-starts are also made easier. More features abound The FE4-130TF is built on the foundation of FUSO’s three key pillars: reliability and quality; value for money; and best service support. As far as reliability and quality is concerned, it offers easy, quick and affordable body mounting due to its pre- drilled chassis. The FE4-130TF also allows for up to 50 body variations, making it a go-anywhere vehicle that can be deployed in various distribution applications. “The FE4-130TF is designed to be deployed in numerous applications to meet

our customers’ diverse needs. It is an ideal fit for dry freight, fleet operations, food services, gardening services, public works and refrigerated goods,” says Matseba. In terms of value for money, the 3-litre, 96 kw/3 500 rpm Euro III engine, that comes with an Eco Mode is said to offer great fuel consumption. Less frequent oil changes also translate into lower maintenance costs. Service intervals have been significantly increased, with up to 25 000 km on the engine, and up to 50 000 km for the transmission. When it comes to service support, a competitive warranty coverage of two years, unlimited kilometres, from bumper to bumper ensures that customers have a

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