MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
Scrap merchant Frank Kelbie Ltd has invested in some precious metal of its own, in the shape of a new 3.5-tonne Fuso Canter light truck.
The Canter 3C13 was supplied to Dundee-based Kelbie by local Mercedes-Benz dealer John R Weir Truck & Van – Fuso light trucks are sold and supported by the German manufacturer’s network in the UK.
Fitted with an aluminium dropside body by DPH Coachbuilders, of Dundee, the vehicle is now being used to collect scrap metal from customers across much of Scotland, and deliver processed metals to end users.
It was the impressive reliability and performance of a previous Canter, also supplied by John R Weir, that convinced Frank Kelbie to invest in another.
Director Stephen Kelbie explained: "We bought our first Canter in 2004 and liked it so much that when we came to replace it we didn’t really consider any alternatives.
"We’ve had other 3.5-tonne vehicles in the past but they’ve been based on van chassis. The Canter is different – it’s built like a proper truck and, as a result, is much stronger. It’s more than happy to work fully loaded and carries the weight really well."
Mr Kelbie continued: "The Canter is engineered to an extremely high standard, while the ‘cab forward’ design, with no long bonnet, means it fits perfectly on our small weighbridge. This compact footprint is also an important asset when we’re negotiating yards and other areas where access is tight."
Frank Kelbie Ltd was founded in 1946 by Mr Kelbie’s grandfather, then taken over by his father, also Frank. As well as Stephen, other sons Richard and James are heavily involved in the running of the business and the fourth generation of the family is also on board.
The company operates from two sites, one in central Dundee and another in Lochee. It buys a wide range of scrap metals from demolition contractors and the construction industry, as well as scrap cars from commercial and private sources. The metals it extracts and processes are supplied to customers both in Scotland and abroad, with loads frequently sent for export from harbours such as Inverkeithing.
