The firm said the decision was based on its previous long-term experience of running the Isuzu marque in its 140-strong nationwide fleet, having operated in excess of 100 Isuzu 7.5-tonne rigids.
The company’s Mick Montague explained: “All our Isuzus have served us really well in the past, they are an excellent workhorse with outstanding payload capability. In fact, we have still got some ’06 plate Isuzus running around on a daily basis within our fleet today. For our new bespoke service for home deliveries, we felt that the Isuzu Euro VI 7.5-tonner would be the ideal vehicle to handle the requirements of this specific operation.”
The latest Isuzu Forward N75.190 4×2 rigids feature the Easyshift automated transmission and are specified with a Solomon’s dual compartment refrigerated body that has a movable bulkhead. The trucks each use Carrier Transicold Xarios refrigeration systems as standard and the bodies have all been fitted with the latest JJ Food Service wrap livery.
“For the last few years, we have concentrated on adding 18-tonne rigids to our fleet, however recently, our product range has changed considerably, in terms of product categories and higher price points. To accommodate these changes, we needed to go back to putting more 7.5-tonne vehicles into the fleet. This gives us a better, more efficient, utilisation of these types of products,” commented Montague.
Based at the JJ Food Service depot in Enfield, the latest Isuzus are being used for a range of the company’s distribution services, mainly delivering to customers in West London and the City. As the delivery routes are not particularly high mileage, JJ Food Service anticipates that the new Isuzu delivery vehicles will have a long working life in its fleet.
“Isuzu and JJ Food Service have enjoyed a really successful working relationship that goes back over many years. This is part and parcel of the ITUK approach to its customers. By working closely with our customers such as JJ Food Service, we are able to develop long-term partnerships. We strive to deliver great customer service and care and provide vehicles that are ideally suited to the specific distribution requirements,” commented Keith Child, marketing director, Isuzu Truck (UK) Ltd.
