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"We bought the 6.5-tonne Iveco last June for its rear axle capacity and the
Page 30
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crew cab" Mick Wakefield Pi Mick Wakefield has run his vehicle recovery business in Boston for 25 years. Wakefield Recovery operates 24 vehicles, ranging from a 2.5-tonne Mazda pick-up to a Scania 144 eight-wheeler plated at 150 tonnes providing a service that encompasses motorcycles to the heaviest commercial vehide.
"We operate a roadside recovery over a 45-mile radius, but also provide onward transport all over the UK and into Europe," says Wakefield. "We bought the 6.5-tonne Iveco last June for its rear axle capacity and the crew cab. The Iveco crew cab is most important to us for our non-commercial business. It sits two in the front and four in the back. With a door either side, passenger access is good and it's comfortable. A 5.0-tonne axle capacity makes it suitable for light commercials and car recovery.
"The equipment we add on can cost more than the chassis cab itself and so, with a high investment we may keep them as long as ten years. We do look after them very well mechanically as well as keeping them looking immaculate. I think that entrusting the vehicle to the same driver all of the time prolongs its life. This one has a Boniface 211 that is rated with a 7,250kg over-boom and a 1,814kg under-lift. The train weight for the vehicle is 9,800kgs. It operates locally so the mileage is quite low. It's only done 12,500 miles so far. I am waiting on the delivery of a second one equipped with a sliding tilt bed which we will use on long distance work and expect to cover up to 125,000 miles a year.
"We didn't consider that there was anything else worth looking at at 6.5 tonnes but we would have specified the Iveco anyway, just on price. It's several thousand pounds less than we paid for our 4.6 tonne VW The trim is a bit flimsy and it rattles a bit more than the VW I146, which I would say has better build quality than the Iveco but then next to the Canter it seems like a Rolls Royce.
"I don't have the precise fuel figures to hand but I don't believe it's decipherably any thirstier than the LT 46 doing similar work.
"We had cruise control fitted after we had taken delivery of the truck but it's a factory fitting on the one we are waiting for and that reminds me about the spotlights. Iveco uses a different bumper when the factory fits spotlights so it's important to include them in the build specification. Apart from a warning light coming up on the dash we have remained trouble free." la