The new vehicles were supplied by Mercedes-Benz Dealer Orwell Truck & Van – the German manufacturer’s franchised network is also responsible for sales and support of the popular Canter range. Their alloy tipping bodies, meanwhile, are the work of Priden Engineering, of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, which also fabricated the large, locking toolboxes fitted behind the cabs.
Trevor Pollard founded the building and contracting company in 1997. A former Football League linesman, Pollard is now Head Coach for the Suffolk FA Youth Referees Academy, which is based at Ipswich Town’s training ground.
Pollard & Co purchased its latest two Canters with competitive funding support from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. It is the first time the company has specified the DUONIC system, the world’s first fully automated dual clutch transmission for trucks, which is designed to offer smooth shifts and fuel-efficient performance.
Commenting on the new vehicles, Pollard said: ‘These vehicles are our main site workhorses and we use them to carry building materials, aggregates and rubble, as well as pull trailers occasionally. It’s a tough job but the Canter is well-built and robust enough to take the punishment – unlike other, van-based 3.5-tonners, it’s a proper little truck.’
The latest arrivals have lined-up alongside one other Canter, and replaced two older examples which the company has sold.