Utilimaster Corp., a manufacturer of walk-in vans and commercial truck bodies for the delivery and service market, and medium-duty cab-over truck maker Isuzu Commercial Truck of America on Tuesday, Oct. 25, celebrated the launch of the Reach commercial van with a plant dedication at Utilimaster’s headquarters located in Wakarusa, Ind.
Introduced in March, the Reach – with a body designed by Utilimaster atop an Isuzu NPR Eco-Max chassis powered by Isuzu’s 3.0-liter diesel engine – is designed to offer the functionality of a custom-built work truck along with the styling and ergonomics of a walk-through cargo van, while achieving 35 percent better fuel economy than a standard walk-in cargo van. The Reach meets the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards.
The Reach concept began five years ago with Utilimaster collecting input from its core customers, which include UPS, FedEx, Frito Lay and Verizon, to design a vehicle from the ground up that would improve the speed, efficiency and profitability of delivery operations, says John Marshall, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Utilimaster.
During a test drive on country roads near Wakarusa, Ind., this CCJ editor instantly noticed the unusually sharp turning radius and driver visibility. The Reach turns six feet sharper than a traditional walk-in van, Marshall says, with 10 feet of horizontal distance separating the driver’s line of sight from the ground. The Reach also comes standard with a backup camera.
During the test ride, Marshall explained how the Reach is designed to optimize a driver’s standard operating procedures. When stopping for a pickup or delivery, for instance, the driver shifts the automated transmission into park with his right hand. The shifter is located on the dash directly to the right of the steering column. Without bending over, the driver then pulls the safety parking brake with his left hand. The safety brake is on the dash to the left of the steering column. With a click, the driver releases the seat belt with his right hand, stands up, turns to the right and walks into the Reach’s cargo area.
Once the driver takes a package from shelves in the cargo area, he exits the vehicle from the passenger side down 34-inch wide steps through a sliding door. The bottom step on the passenger side is 15 inches from the ground. For safety, a cab handle is integrated into the dash and the steps are lined with a carbide epoxy composite.
“Every second counts for us,” Marshall says. “Overall we are very happy with the outcome of that vehicle.”
To manufacture the new Reach walk-through commercial van, Utilimaster turned a 90,000 square foot facility into a production line with 22 modular stations and 5 zones. The Reach plant is capable of rolling out 40 vehicles per day with two-shift operations, says Barry Simes, director of manufacturing for Utilimaster Corp.
Executive leadership from Utilimaster and its corporate owners Spartan Motors Inc., as well as from Isuzu Commercial Truck of America and Isuzu Manufacturing Services of America, commemorated the plant dedication and product launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and gift exchange. They were joined by customers, government officials, media and special guests for the occasion.
“The Reach represents a great opportunity to impact our customers’ businesses, significantly reducing both fuel consumption across their fleets as well as their carbon footprint,” says John Forbes, president of Utilimaster Corp. “Today is the culmination of a focused program that benefited from the global resources and powertrain capabilities of Isuzu and the market-specific knowledge and product development capabilities of Utilimaster.”
