GREEN THUMBS UP. THE FUSO CANTER CONVINCES THE LANDSCAPING PROFESSIONALS AT SCHELLHEIMER GMBH.

Behind the minimalist German abbreviation GaLaBau lies quite a diverse industry. This becomes clear at the latest when you look at the portfolio of Schellheimer GmbH from Wilpoldsried near Kempten in Allgäu. Managing director Lars Schellheimer and his team know exactly what is important when planning and designing a garden. They are familiar with every conceivable type of plant, are experts in their care and not only use them to green gardens or parks, but also roofs or facades. Paving paths, setting walls, installing lighting and even creating ponds and natural pools and much more is also part of the service.

The versatile professionals therefore need an equally versatile vehicle concept for their transport tasks. How fitting that the FUSO Canter is a real „natural talent“ in this respect, because it can serve with the ideal configuration for every application in the field of landscaping. With its practical design, high loading capacity, manoeuvrability, three powerful engine variants, car-like operating and driving comfort, a wide range of body options and top service, it offers an attractive overall package. This makes the Canter economically very interesting for an industry in which transport plays an important role, but at the same time it is a cost factor that must be factored in.

Lars Schellheimer, who is the second generation to run the family business, has long been convinced by the FUSO Canter: „The easy maintenance has inspired us for decades. The decision to include a tilting cab in a small truck was, in my opinion, groundbreaking. Somebody has done some good thinking!“ The first 3.5-tonne truck in the fleet obviously left a lasting impression. Its tilting cab, not a matter of course in smaller trucks at the time, made it possible to refill engine oil or brake fluid easily and uncomplicatedly by oneself.

Today, six FUSO Canter with a three-way tipper body are on the road in Schellheimer GmbH’s bright grass green. Not least because of the increasingly extensive portfolio of activities that the landscape and gardening specialist and his team offer over the years, Lars Schellheimer relies primarily on the high payload of the robust 7.5 t Canter for his current vehicles. It enables the towing of heavy trailers: „If we can already load bulk material from our warehouse on the first trip to the construction site in the morning, we save time and money. The same applies to the last excavation of the day.“

With its five weight classes from 3.5t to 8.55t, the Canter covers exactly the light tonnages that are in particularly high demand in gardening and landscaping. It is the first choice when a van is too little, but a heavy truck is too much.

While the Canter drivers at Schellheimer need a class C1E truck driver’s licence for the extra payload, the FUSO Canter is particularly popular with many companies in the landscaping industry, especially in the 3.5 t version. Up to a permissible total weight of 3.5t, it may be driven with a class B driving licence and with an extension to class BE, it is even possible to attach a trailer with up to 3.5t (zGG).

Speaking of which, Lars Schellheimer often hears from his employees that the FUSO Canter is almost as pleasant to drive as a passenger car, even as a 7.5-tonne truck. The optional automatic DUONIC® 2.0 dual-clutch transmission with six gears makes driving even more pleasant and easier. Added to this is the efficient and environmentally friendly engine, which always gets the Canter swiftly from one construction site to the next. Depending on the tonnage, there is a choice of 130 hp, 150 hp or 175 hp. A closed and maintenance-free diesel particulate filter complements all engine variants. The automatic regeneration of the particulate filter works reliably, which the Canter drivers at Schellheimer can confirm from their own experience.

The 7.5-tonne trucks in the Schellheimer fleet have the two-metre-wide Comfort cab. Those who want the dimensions to be even more compact can configure their Canter in the 3.5t and 6t variants with the narrow, only 1.7-metre wide, single cab. If these two options are not to your liking, because you prefer to transport material and crew all at once, the Canter with 3.5t or 7.5t as a Comfort double cab with six or seven seats respectively will certainly suit you.

The FUSO Canter is not only accommodating in width, but also in length. Six wheelbases, depending on tonnage, between 2,500 mm and 4,750 mm offer many possible combinations. The matching platform and tipper bodies, the classics for use in gardening and landscaping, are readily available directly from the factory. A 24-volt interface and power take-offs for connecting hydraulic pumps or compressors are also on the Canter’s options list. Further individual adaptations, for example a sun visor or a practical tool box for equipment and tools, are possible.

Lars Schellheimer is pleased that the Canter can actually be configured so individually: „We are very happy that we can adapt the vehicles to our needs. But with such a large number of variants, we also need someone who can give us expert advice. Fortunately, the Mercedes-Benz employees are there to help us with that.“ The employees at Mercedes-Benz sales partner Autohaus Allgäu GmbH & Co. KG in Kempten not only do a great job in advising before buying or leasing, but the after-sales team has also convinced the GaLaBau contractor. The workshop of the responsible branch offers very customer-oriented opening hours that can be easily combined with the working hours of his business. „We are very satisfied with the service from Mercedes-Benz. The branch that looks after us works until 10 pm on weekdays and until 4 pm on Saturdays. This is very important for us, as we usually only have the vehicles available from Friday afternoon“, says Lars Schellheimer.