Year: | 2006 |
Model: | Canter Dump Truck |
Mileage: | 176,361km / 109,585mi |
Transmission: | 5-Speed Manual |
Fuel Type: | Diesel |
Drivetrain: | Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive |
Exterior Color: | White |
VIN Number: | FE71BB-5***** |
The Perfect 2 to 3 Ton Used Japanese Dump Truck
I paid my way through college driving heavy straight trucks. When it comes to dump trucks, I first drove medium duty, single axle dump trucks (GMC and Mercedes) for a construction and landscaping supply company. Later I drove big twin axle dumps (Mack) for an excavation outfit.
Most of our building supply and landscaping jobs were in town and there were some pretty narrow back alleys and tight turns to be made when delivering loads of gravel or brick sand; or pallets of blocks and paving stones. The old trucks we had were all conventionals (cabs with a snout) in the five-ton class and they turned like pigs. What I wouldn’t have given for a cab-over like this 2-ton used Canter dump that our customer has just imported from Japan to Georgetown in the Cayman Islands!
When it comes to dump trucks in the 2 to 3 ton class (single axle, of course), the Mitsubishi Canter does everything right. These trucks are in the “light duty” class and are exactly what is needed for landscapers and smaller construction firms, road maintenance companies, and larger agricultural concerns.
A Dump Truck for the Tight Spots
What makes the Canter so good? Why would I have wanted one so much back in my truck driving days at the building supply company? Well, first off, the Canter (which, I’m pretty sure, came out way back in the ’60s) has always been narrow. From left to right it’s not such a big machine. This counts big time on many small to medium landscaping jobs and it counts really big time when you have to drive around in town, and when you have to maneuver your dump truck in a tight construction site. Secondly, the Canter has a tight turning circle. I sure would have liked to have a Canter that day I took a load of bricks and 40lb bags of cement down a back alley to a house in Toronto and couldn’t make the turn. If my five ton GMC hog had been able to turn tighter, I wouldn’t have scraped the corner of Mr “Angry” Al Johnston’s garage. My company patched the whole corner of that garage good as new (better, actually) but Angry Al was spitting mad at me forever after.
The third plus (of many) for the Canter is its cab-over layout. It simply gives much, much better visibility forward and down (and left and down, and right and down) when maneuvering in tight spots. And if you look at the left and right side windows on our Canter here in the photographs, you’ll see that they slope down at the front, giving you an even better look down and to the front corners. The old ford C-700 I drove for an industrial laundry company (yes, there are such businesses) tried to give this extra forward and down visibility with its wrap-around front windscreen; not a bad idea in itself.

And, also with operational visibility in mind, note the grill on the Canter’s dump body fore plate which makes backing up a whole lot easier. Note also the big side mirrors, and, especially, the front and down mirror that lets you see exactly how close your bumper is to what is just in front of you. (Yep, the Canter is the light dump truck King of Tight Spots.)
A Canter Dump Has Many Plusses
And we have not exhausted the good points of the Mitsubishi Canter yet. Not at all. These Japanese dump trucks are quite economical and fuel efficient. With the truck you are looking at here, you’ve got a four-cylinder turbo diesel engine with intercooler. At just under 3,000cc, it is not a big unit but it has good diesel grunt: 123hp (92kW) at 3,200rpm and 30kgm of torque at a nice low 1,800rpm. The engine itself, 4M42 is Mitsubishi’s designation for it, is a sophisticated little thing, actually. In addition to its being turbo intercooled, it’s a dual overhead cam design with four valves per cylinder. Nice.
This engine also dispenses with the older mechanical injection system for the injector pump and now has EDC (electronic diesel control) for better efficiency, emissions, power and fuel consumption. Even nicer.
It’s also known as a very reliable little guy, and the 176,000kms (110,000miles) on the engine in this used truck is nothing for a Mitsubishi 4M series engine.
Now driving the old dump trucks that I used to did not put me in the lap of luxury. One of Mitsubishi’s targets with these 7th generation (in production from 2002 to 2010) Canter trucks was to make the cab interior more comfortable. The actual interior space left to right, fore to aft, and floor to roof has been increased over the 6th gen Canter, and they are certainly more ergonomic than what I used to drive. For example, if you look at our photos here, you’ll see that the gear shift has been moved from the center floor forward and up to the dash. This makes your reach a bit easier and also clears some leg room for the center passenger. Good idea.
Of course, you’ll already have noticed that the Canter has three front seats, so if the job needs a crew of three guys, you don’t have to drive an extra car or truck to the site. Yet another good idea.
So, when you are looking to import a dump truck from Japan in the 2-3 ton, single axle class, you’ve got to keep the Canter high on your list of used vehicles for self import.
Of course, if you need something much lighter, then it’s the Kei dump trucks (like this one here)
(UPLOAD NOTE: Link is: )
all the way, especially for the smaller landscaping jobs. We have shipped quite a lot of these little marvels of efficiency and reliability, and you can see some of our Kei trucks here, here, and here.
We also have spec tables and general information for Kei trucks (minitucks) here and here.
We have even written about them on our Japan Car Direct blog. The first article in the series What is the Best Kei truck to Export from Japan starts here.
Now, as I mentioned above, this used Canter dump truck has been imported to Georgetown in the Caymans. We get a fair number of enquiries asking us if it’s possible to import a used vehicle from Japan to the West Indies. There are so many countries in “The Islands” that I can’t give you a blanket answer. You’ll need to check your own country’s used vehicle import rules, but where direct import from Japan is permitted, we at Japan Car Direct can certainly source a good unit for you and arrange the shipping and necessary export documentation. So whether it’s a used dump truck like our Canter here, or an even bigger commercial vehicle like this Nissan Condor here that we exported with its big box van body, used commercial vehicle export from Japan is a great way to get yourself the truck you need for the job you do.
Register with us and we’ll get your commercial vehicle wheels rolling.
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Matthew at JCD is the man. I’ve now imported three of my own cars through him. JCD was able to accommodate my unique needs, everything from short turn around inspections,... read moreMatthew at JCD is the man. I’ve now imported three of my own cars through him. JCD was able to accommodate my unique needs, everything from short turn around inspections, expert opinions on bidding, arranging quick turn shipping, and handling of docs. I have no reservations sending more tens of thousands of dollars for future imports. At the end of the day, they really wanted to make me a happy customer. read less
I highly recommend Japan Car Direct. They help you find exactly what you are looking for and are with you throughout the entire process. Import was seamless. Mike was great... read moreI highly recommend Japan Car Direct. They help you find exactly what you are looking for and are with you throughout the entire process. Import was seamless. Mike was great to work with. Highly recommend the team at JCD. read less
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The process is painless end to end and I was well looked after by Mike. Definitely recommend Japan Car Direct for the auction and shipping service. read less
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Great experience. Extremely easy process and Kept me well informed. Highly recommend them if looking to purchase a vehicle from Japan.
It's hard to say anything that hasn't been said from other reviewers! This was my first experience importing a vehicle. Mike Nguyen was super patient with me and my indecisiveness.... read moreIt's hard to say anything that hasn't been said from other reviewers! This was my first experience importing a vehicle. Mike Nguyen was super patient with me and my indecisiveness. He was very quick to respond, and very informative on all my questions. He helped my sort through options until landing a 1kz-te Land Cruiser Prado. It ended up being in better condition than I was anticipating, and was able to drive it 5 hours home from port without a single issue. Cannot recommend Japan Car Direct enough! read less
I used Japan Car Direct's services to import a Nissan Silvia from Japan to Australia. Mike was very helpful from start to finish and definitely made the process stress free.
The... read moreI used Japan Car Direct's services to import a Nissan Silvia from Japan to Australia. Mike was very helpful from start to finish and definitely made the process stress free.
The detailed videos where Mike would translate and explain the Japanese auction sheets and inspections provided great clarification so I knew exactly what I was getting with my car. I have to also commend Mike's swiftness when it came to replying to emails and phone calls, he would always reply near on instantly and even outside of normal business hours just to ensure I was never left in the dark through the bidding and shipping preparation processes.
I could not recommend JCD enough for any potential self importers! read less
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Just picked up my car that I bought through JCD. I was a complete newbie about buying a car overseas and Mathew was kind enough to basically hold my... read moreJust picked up my car that I bought through JCD. I was a complete newbie about buying a car overseas and Mathew was kind enough to basically hold my hand and help me through the process. It seems pretty daunting at first but if I can do it anybody can. Highly recommend JCD! read less
I worked with Mathew on getting my first Japanese Kei truck. The process and communication were great. For me the back-and-forth communication was the reason why I decided to go... read moreI worked with Mathew on getting my first Japanese Kei truck. The process and communication were great. For me the back-and-forth communication was the reason why I decided to go with japancardirect. Being able to see the auction trucks that are coming out and getting a detailed translation of the auction sheet is awesome. At first, I was a little hesitant sending money for a car overseas that I haven't actually seen in person, but Mathew stayed with me even at times when I was less patient. Thanks for all the help you and your team provide. read less
Taylor at JCD has been incredibly helpful in my search for a couple of unique rigs from overseas -- We've scored one, and are looking forward to finding another.
Taylor's professinoalism,... read moreTaylor at JCD has been incredibly helpful in my search for a couple of unique rigs from overseas -- We've scored one, and are looking forward to finding another.
Taylor's professinoalism, promptness, clarity of communication has been amazing. He's helped answer a miultitude of questions, and everything went without incident (aside from impacts from Ukraine).f
Thank you, Taylor! read less
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After seeing quite a few Kei Trucks on the road, I was intrigued. Seeing the local retail prices gave me sticker shock, so I immediately thought there has to be... read moreAfter seeing quite a few Kei Trucks on the road, I was intrigued. Seeing the local retail prices gave me sticker shock, so I immediately thought there has to be a better way. Sure enough, that way is Japan Car Direct. Yoshi and team are knowledgeable, professional and responsive. They do what they say they are going to do before, during and after the transaction, they are in it for the long haul. The result of reviewing the auction listings and acquiring/importing yourself (with help from JCD) is substantial savings and the satisfaction of paying a fair price. It's also fun if you enjoy searching for and identifying great automotive values. Would not hesitate to recommend their services to others and I will be back for more vehicles in the near future. read less
Can't fault these guys - this was the first time I've bought a car at any auction, let alone one in Japan. The support from Yoshiro was brilliant, very patient... read moreCan't fault these guys - this was the first time I've bought a car at any auction, let alone one in Japan. The support from Yoshiro was brilliant, very patient with me and ensured that I only bid on cars worth having. The car I have bought far exceeds expectations in every way and the whole process of purchase and shipping was all taken care of - top marks and thank you read less
Japan Car Direct helped me find my dream car. We found a great deal on an ST205. Yoshiro was fantastic and super responsive and patient with all of my questions.... read moreJapan Car Direct helped me find my dream car. We found a great deal on an ST205. Yoshiro was fantastic and super responsive and patient with all of my questions. They made navigating the import process a breeze. This is a reputable company. I highly recommend them if you’re interested in importing your very own JDM. read less
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So pleased with our companies new Japanese mini-truck import. Japan Car Direct made it all too easy. We made a few first-timer mistakes on the paperwork but the next import... read moreSo pleased with our companies new Japanese mini-truck import. Japan Car Direct made it all too easy. We made a few first-timer mistakes on the paperwork but the next import will be even smoother. Looking forward to the next experience. read less
MARKNADEN Studio
4/08/2022
Great dependable business! Highly recommended! Thank you Mathew for all your hard work!
Yoshiro and the folks over at JapanCarDirect are the best! They were super helpful with my first time importing a vehicle to the US and were quick to answer all... read moreYoshiro and the folks over at JapanCarDirect are the best! They were super helpful with my first time importing a vehicle to the US and were quick to answer all of the first-time questions I had about the process. The vehicle I got was exactly as I expected based on the pre-bidding inspection that they organized and I am beyond thrilled with my new (to me) little van. I'll definitely be working with them again for the next vehicle I look to import read less
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