Building materials鈥痵upplier鈥疎lliotts is running a new 13.5-tonne Isuzu rear-mount crane lorry as part of a strategic trial aimed at improving delivery efficiency in rural and restricted-access locations.
Elliotts has 13 branches across Hampshire and Dorset. The new truck entered service at its Fordingbridge branch in the New Forest earlier this month under a six-month contract hire agreement, with an option to purchase following performance evaluation.
The trial reflects a wider fleet strategy focused on aligning vehicle specification with branch-level operating conditions. The Fordingbridge area presents consistent challenges for delivery drivers, including narrow rural roads, limited site access and constrained unloading zones 鈥� factors that can impact delivery times and operational efficiency when using larger vehicles.
The compact crane lorry, fitted with a Hiab X-Hiduo 082 loader, enables improved access to restricted sites and rural developments and faster turnaround times. Crane capacity is 8.1 tonne-metres, with an outreach to 11.6 metres.
Elliotts is tracking utilisation, delivery performance and customer outcomes throughout the trial period to assess scalability across similar branches within its network.
Branch manager at Elliotts Fordingbridge, Tiffany Phillips, said:聽 鈥淭he capability of this new vehicle is already proving its worth, with one recent customer highlighting the importance of having flexible solutions and praising the team for successfully completing a delivery to their narrow driveway in Romsey. This was only made possible by being able to use the new truck.鈥�
A purchase decision will be made following a full review of trial data later this year.