If you provide a 24/7 service, you are likely to value vehicle reliability and low running costs very highly indeed, a sentiment that was recently confirmed by Leigh Hooper, who is Head of Sales at vacant property maintenance specialist Clearway.

Clearway recently added two Mercedes-Benz Sprinters to its 30-strong fleet and Mr Hooper confirmed that the quality of the vans and the 24/7 aftersales service both played a role in the purchase decision:

“We’ve tried other brands of van but have found that for a variety of reasons the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is far superior.

“We made the change four years ago because we had issues with the reliability and running costs of our previous vehicles. By contrast, not only have our Sprinters given us no trouble at all, they’ve also proved very economical to operate.

“The fact that Sparshatts is a commercial vehicle specialist and understands the needs of businesses that rely on their vans is another key element of the Mercedes-Benz package. Unlike dealers we’ve used in the past, Sparshatts’ Dartford workshop is open through the night so its team are able to service our vehicles at times which suit us. As a company that offers its own customers a 24/7 service, we value that kind of flexibility very highly indeed.”

Both of Clearway’s new Sprinters are medium wheelbase 316 CDI models, powered by smooth and clean 163 hp engines mated to six-speed ECO Gear manual transmissions, designed specifically for vans to improve flexibility and maximise fuel economy by reducing engine speeds.

To further increase fuel efficiency Clearway also specifies its Mercedes-Benz vans with the optional ECO start/stop function, which turns off the engine whenever the vehicle is stopped in traffic, then restarts it as soon as the driver depresses the clutch.

Clearway’s Sprinters are used by two-man security teams who attend vacant properties to undertake a host of tasks, including fitting steel doors and screens, alarm and temporary CCTV systems.