Achieving the optimum combination of payload, size and running costs is something that most fleet managers strive for, but with varying degrees of success.

After all, from a customer’s point of view, we’ve all seen large vehicles deliver tiny packages — and seen overloaded vans making multiple trips to do a job that one larger truck could do better.

In the south-west of England, Travis Perkins’ Tool Hire Division believes it has hit on a winning formula with its growing fleet of Isuzu 5-tonne light trucks. Travis Perkins has worked with Isuzu Truck and its local dealer to hone the specification to perfection — with the result that its 5-tonners benefit from a 2,000kg payload, compared to 900kg for the equivalent 3.5t light truck model.

The 5-tonne vehicles can also tow a trailer with an addition 2.8t payload, meaning that — for example — a digger and dumper can be delivered in one journey, rather than two for a 3.5t unit.

The 5-tonner’s running costs are only marginally higher than those of the 3.5t truck, and their added payload means fewer journeys — Andy Ray, Group Fleet Manager at Travis Perkins, is thoroughly sold on the concept:

“The new 5.0 tonne Isuzu plugs the gap [between 3.5t and 7.5t] perfectly. For many of our operations this specification is ideal because the Isuzu 5.0 tonner can undertake some of the jobs a 7.5 or 12 tonne truck can do, but at a fraction of the cost.”

A growing trend?

One outcome of the recession seems to have been that larger operators have experimented with weights, especially in the 3.5t – 12t range. By increasing or decreasing weights, and payloads, it’s often possible to achieve surprising efficiencies, as in Travis Perkins’ case.

Transport is always a cost, never and end goal, and price pressure is huge. Given this, perhaps the biggest surprise is that it’s taken some operators (not necessarily Travis Perkins) so long to work it out…