National builders’ merchants Jewson has taken delivery of 178 Iveco Daily 3.5-tonne dropsides to support its nationwide network of 250 tool hire branches.
The winner of the light truck of the year title at the 2024 Great British Fleet Awards, the Daily has been supplied as a chassis cab in a combination of 3,450mm and larger 3,750mm wheelbases for longer loads.
The Daily’s strong truck-based chassis enables impressive payload for heavy equipment to be delivered with ease, while the up to 3.5-tonne towing capacity means generators and even earthmovers can be towed and delivered on site, negating the need for a larger vehicle.
Jewson fleet manager Darren O’Donnell said: “These vehicles are an ideal fit for us. They can tow large items of plant such as a JCB while also transporting cement mixers and hydraulic equipment. This towing ability and payload capability means deploying one vehicle on site for deliveries instead of potentially two.”
The new arrivals join Jewson’s nationwide fleet of 1,600 commercial vehicles and will cover around 22,500 miles each year over five years. The vehicles are kitted out with Bevan Group bodywork that maximises cargo carrying with its lightweight construction and ample load area. They also feature a DEL tail-lift for ease of loading heavy equipment. Handrails have been incorporated into the dropside bodywork for additional user safety whilst loading and unloading.
Jewson has specified the 136hp 2.3-litre diesel engine coupled to a six-speed manual transmission, offering an 18% increase in clutch durability and oil change intervals of 350,000km.
Darren O’Donnell continued: “Something that was important for our new vehicle fleet was a dependable maintenance and repair network. Iveco’s truck-based attitude to getting a vehicle back on the road as soon as possible is exactly what we were looking for. The Guest Truck & Van dealership is providing a great service that we value.”
All vehicles are equipped in the ‘Business’ trim level, which includes manual air con, cruise control, front fog lights and electrically heated door mirrors, along with standard memory foam seats and ‘City Mode’ steering.
Mike Cutts, Iveco UK light business-line director, said: “The busy Jewson fleet needs to be full of dependable vehicles capable of transporting substantial loads. Daily is an ideal candidate thanks to an impressive towing and payload capacity afforded by its robust truck-based chassis.”
