Following the arrival of two Isuzu 3.5 tonne Grafter tipper trucks last year, Bradfords Building Supplies has continued with its Grafter journey this year, through the addition of a further seven new Grafter 3.5 tonne tipper trucks that have just joined the company’s 210 strong HGV and LCV fleet.
With over 15 Isuzu Grafters now operating in its fleet from branches across the south-west, the versatile 3.5 tonne truck has become a firm favourite at Bradfords Building Supplies as head of transport, Martin Caddick explains, “We originally had our first Isuzus way back in 1998, so our experience of them is well proven over the years. Last year, we took two new Isuzu Grafters as fleet additions. For 2022, the seven Grafter fleet additions are all tipper models.”
Operating from branches within the West Country, as part of the company’s 45 strong branch network, the latest Isuzu Grafter N35.125 (S) trucks feature TGS tipper bodies. Each truck is anticipated to cover approximately 20,000 miles per annum, over an anticipated 5- or 6-year working life. The Grafters will be delivering either loose aggregate or building materials from branches to local businesses, building companies and construction sites, anywhere from Worcester to Bournemouth and down as far as Penzance.
“None of the trucks in our distribution fleet have an easy life but the Isuzus have certainly proved themselves to be reliable workhorses. One of our 12-plate Grafters has now covered well over 250,000 miles and is still going strong on a daily basis,” commented Martin, “We also deliver a lot of product to domestic customer properties where access can be very limited. Again, this is where the Grafter comes into its own as the narrow track of the tipper truck is excellent for this type of property. Basically, if you can get the car onto the property, then the Grafter will fit too!”
Martin continues, “As a business, we operate primarily within the south-west region and a further significant benefit of working with Isuzu is that their service network within the south-west area is extremely good. The dealers are all very experienced long-term Isuzu dealers who really do pull out all the stops to keep our trucks out on the road working productively. Nothing is too much trouble for ITUK and their dealers, which is why we keep coming back for more trucks.”
Bradfords Building Supplies has an incredible pedigree going back over 250 years with records showing that the business has existed since 1770. Still a family business, Bradfords are now the leading supplier of building materials in the south-west, operating through 45 regional branches, with its main branch support centre based in Yeovil, Somerset.
“With the relationship between our two companies going back over 22 years, we feel a great sense of pride and pleasure in seeing the continued growth of the Grafter within the Bradfords Building Supplies fleet. Our 3.5 tonne Grafter truck range is ideally compatible with a wide range of bodies designed specifically for the building and construction industry, which now forms one of the biggest, and most popular, market sectors for the Isuzu marque,” said Lee Barwick, fleet sales manager, Isuzu Truck UK.
