FUSO CANTER
Truck & Driver Summer 2019^91
concentrate on watching the
action from the partial shelter of
the barn as it is witheringly cold.
No complaints from Ryan that
he’s handballing rather than
operating the crane on his usual
Daf – “It’s nice to have a change,”
he smiles – but there’s also no
complaint when I suggest a detour
into nearby Threlkeld to visit the
village hall coffee shop. Another
bonus for the Canter is that the
profusion of Lakeland 7.5-tonneweight limits doesn’t apply to us:
“I could actually do with a
45-minute tacho break,” he says.
With such lengthy company
service, we are surprised when
Ryan tells us he left to work on
the railways for a year.
“I did it for the money, but in
truth it was no life as I was never
at home and I soon came back. I
enjoy my home comforts.”
For weekend relaxation, Ryan
is following in his father’s footsteps.
“For as long as I can remember,
dad worked the discos around
this area. A year or two back, he
encouraged me to get involved
so I do the odd gig now and
again.” Being a travelling DJ is a
lot easier than it used to be. “Dad
had to hire a van, then he got a
trailer, for all the gear and recordshe used to to carry about. Now I
just have two iPads, preloaded
with music, and some speakers,
so I can use my own car.”
Soon we are into the outskirts
of Keswick and our first small
drop is safely delivered. For most
of the year, Keswick is a huge
tourist spot, making it an awful
chew for any visiting truckers, but
today we breeze through the
town almost in top gear.Versatility
Our last drop is right on the shore
of Derwentwater, the picturesque
1480ft-high profile of Cat Bells
fell looming in the background.
Ryan has to drop the sides of the
Canter body and remove the side
posts so the last boards can be
pulled clear. We note the tipperbody’s tailgate has hinges
located top and bottom, allowing
for versatile discharge options.
‘Versatile’ sums up the Canter
too, which is available in many
different forms. Fuso does offer
an off-the-peg tipper version,
although the body on the Huws
Gray 7.5-tonner is by Fitzgeralds
Vehicle Works of Skelmersdale,
supplying dealer Ciceley having
commissioned the build then sold
the finished vehicle from stock.
Our man Ryan has been
pretty versatile too, as he reckons
he’s enjoyed seeing the day
through a different windscreen.
It doesn’t take him long to
breeze back to the Penrith depot
for, of course, another load. “I’ve
enjoyed the day,” he comments.
“This motor’s all right.”Cab is easy to access and accommodates three; gearbox is a five-speed manual