Market Leading Payload for Smerald Roofing

The introduction in London of Mayor Ken Livingstone's Low Emission Zone prompted East End roofing supplies specialist Smerald to replace an ageing 7.5-tonner with its first Mitsubishi Fuso Canter.

The new 7C15 has a 145hp, 3.0-litre Euro 4 engine and is fitted with a dropside body by IC Piggott, of Bishop's Stortford, and a Fassi F50A crane supplied by Fassi main dealer, Walker Crane Services.

Bow-based family firm LS Smerald Roofing Contractors can trace its origins back to the early 1950s. Co-directors and cousins Mark and Ray Smerald, whose fathers founded the business, withdrew from contracting three years ago to concentrate on supplying tiles and slates, as well as lead, zinc and copper.

The LEZ, the first phase of which came into force on 8 February, 2008, aims to improve air quality in the capital by deterring the most polluting vehicles from being driven in the area, through a charging system.

Not until 2012 will Euro 4 become the required emissions standard within the zone "but we tend to operate our vehicles for a long time, so it's nice to know that we are already compliant," says Ray Smerald.

"We don't cover big mileages so a good payload is the most important attribute in a truck for us, and the Canter offers more carrying capacity than any other 7.5-tonner on the market.

"By using the Fassi crane, ours still offers a payload of 3.6 tonnes, less the weight of the driver and fuel, which is a massive improvement on our old truck. And of course, the fact that we can carry more means we can stay out longer and serve more customers in one trip."

The F50A.21 will reach 4.9m (16ft) and lift 960Kg whilst weighing in at only 605Kg. This means that even with a 300Kg brick grab attached it is still able to lift a 1 tonne pack of bricks at over 3.6m making it the perfect match for payload conscious 7.5T operators in the builders merchant sector.

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