Category Archives: Vans In Business

News and information relating to the use and function of vans by UK businesses.

BA opts for petrol power to avoid diesel headaches

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British Airways Mercedes-Benz Citan TravelinerBritish Airways has made an unusual, but highly suitable, purchasing choice, by buying the first UK Mercedes-Benz Citans to be fitted with petrol engines.

The vans will be used by British Airways engineers and other technical staff based at Heathrow Airport to travel around the site between work assignments, and are all long-bodied Traveliner 112 models, with five seats.

Twenty-eight Citans are now in service with the British Airway’s Ramp Operations team, which is expanding. A further 18 vehicles have gone to BA Engineering, while 11 more will be delivered shortly, for use by BA World Cargo Operations.

The Citan is the smallest commercial vehicle ever to wear a three-pointed star. It was launched last year, but the 1.2-litre petrol-engined version has only just been introduced, and British Airways’ vehicles are the first to be powered by the new 114 hp petrol unit, rather than one of the diesel alternatives chosen by most customers.

The Citans are replacing diesel-engined vehicles by another manufacturer.  BA Contract Management Executive Billu Kler explains:

“Ours is not a typical transport operation. These vehicles are required to move staff from one aircraft stand to another, and between buildings around the airport.

So journeys are invariably short, and undertaken at very low speeds. Diesel engines are not appropriate, because the fact that they never reach high temperatures means the particulate filters can struggle to cope and even become clogged.”

[This is an issue I’ve mentioned before, see here.]

“We were keen to keep things as simple as possible by identifying a single vehicle that would meet the needs of our various teams. After conducting trials our colleagues in BA Engineering concluded that the Long-bodied Citan Traveliner is the ideal size for the job, while our adoption of the petrol engine means the particulate filter issue does not arise.”

Also key to the Citan 112’s appeal were its green credentials, which include fuel-saving BlueEFFICIENCY technology, such as the Eco start/stop function, which is a standard feature.

BT Openreach dials up 1,800 new Fiat Doblò Cargo Maxi Vans

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Fiat Doblo Cargo Maxi BT OpenreachBT’s Openreach division — which operates its broadband internet service — has added 1,800 FIAT Doblò Cargo Maxi vans to its commercial vehicle fleet.

Finished in the eye-catching Openreach livery, the new fleet of FIAT Doblò Cargo Maxi vans will play an important role in helping Openreach to further extend the benefits of high-speed fibre broadband to communities across the UK.

According to Duncan Webb, Commercial Director at BT Fleet:

“These vehicles have been deployed to front-line engineers installing fibre broadband into homes and businesses across the UK. With a fleet of hard-working vehicles of this size it was important to have the right vehicles, which we have in the FIAT Doblò Cargo Maxi.”

Sebastiano Federigo, Head of Brand, FIAT Professional UK, commented:

“We are delighted that Openreach has chosen FIAT Professional UK to supply the vehicles that are so vital to the implementation of its roll out plans. It highlights not only the quality, efficiency and versatility of our award-winning vans but also the level of support and peace-of-mind we are able to offer even the largest and most exacting fleets in the UK.”

The multi award-winning FIAT Doblò Cargo is built on a bespoke platform that bestows it with tremendous versatility and adaptability. With a payload of up to one tonne and a load volume of up to 5.0m3, the Doblò Cargo has impressive carrying capacity both in terms of weight and size, while the Bi-Link rear suspension ensures a smooth ride and surefooted handling.

The Doblo’s engine range provides low running costs and emissions, while surprisngly high number of variants are offered, including a platform cab, the Work Up pickup, long-wheelbase and high-roof versions, crew vans and high-specification Sportivo models, which come with alloy wheels, an engine power upgrade, air conditioning and Blue&Me connectivity as standard.

Ford floods water fleet in new single-marque deal

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Affinity Water Ford fleetWater company Affinity Water has signed a solus deal with Ford for the supply of commercial vehicles and cars, citing Ford’s wide range of recently introduced models as a key factor in its choice.

Affinity Water expects to replace around 300 of its 570 cars and light commercials with Ford models over the coming three years.

Affinity Water, the largest water-only supplier in the UK, previously sourced its vehicles from a number of different manufacturers.

The majority of the fleet are light commercials operated by engineers maintaining the firm’s water-supply infrastructure which serves more than 3.5 million people in parts of London, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.

“One of the reasons Ford scored more highly than other manufacturers on our shortlist was because of the wide range of models on offer,” said Leroy Thomas, Affinity Water’s fleet services contract manager. “Ford was the only company able to supply the range required: everything from Fiesta Van through Transit Connect and Transit Custom through to the full-size Transit, as well as the Ranger.

“Ford has also recently renewed a lot of its range. The models are new and therefore offer increased safety features, better mpg and CO2 emissions across the range. We also recognised the fact that Ford has for three years in a row been voted number one manufacturer by the top 50 fleet management companies for vehicles requiring the fewest days off the road for maintenance.”

Alison Geddes, Affinity Water’s procurement category manager added:

“These factors, including the savings we have been able to make in terms of acquisition and leasing costs, helped us reach the decision that Ford was the right manufacturer for us.”

Ford last year recorded its highest share of the European CV market since 2007 and sold 72,238 commercial vehicles in the UK, an increase of 5,781 year-on-year, growth driven by demand for the new Ford Transit Custom and the Ford Ranger pick-up.

How should you specify a new van?

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BCA LCV auction saleChoosing the specification on any new vehicle is always a case of finding a cost-effective balance between ‘need’ and ‘want’, but where commercial vehicles are concerned, cost constraints mean that buyers often restrict their options choices to ‘must have’.

However, this approach isn’t necessarily the best way to maximise resale value, according to Duncan Ward, who is General Manager, Commercial Vehicles Sales at vehicle remarketing specialists BCA:

“A van is a working tool, so getting the right specification for the job is a given.  But, equally, getting the right added extras will make any van more attractive to used buyers a few years down the line when it is time to sell. The auction buyer will seek out the best vehicle they can buy with the budget they’ve got – and if a van with two side loading doors, a bulkhead and aircon is on offer that will be the one they bid for, if all the other vans available are basic models.

“Generally a better specification will make a van more desirable and saleable with higher-spec vehicles often selling more quickly, improving cash-flow for the seller. The key is, knowing which features are worth paying for when it comes to resale value.”

To help van buyers optimise their specification levels, BCA has provided a checklist of top option choices for van buyers:

Interior ply-lining is one of the best value extras for any van buyer.  It’s expected by buyers and, importantly, it protects valuable company vehicles from ‘inside-out’ damage that is likely to occur day-to-day.   Value-wise ply-lining might add £100, but the real benefit is that the van is much more likely to be in a more saleable condition after three or four years’ hard work.

Side-loading doors are another key consideration for buyers.  And these are just as essential for smaller vans as they are for the larger one tonne and 3.5 tonne vehicles.  BCA believes that, at the very least a van should include a single nearside sliding door, but two side-loading doors will be particularly appealing for businesses whose drivers are going to work in tight, urban conditions.  Potential value in the used market can increase by around £150 for a single and £250 for two side-loading doors, depending on the vehicle.

Factory-fitted satnav does not, however, make a huge difference to the selling price because most mobile and smart phones now offer this facility.  Similarly, in-van entertainment and blue-tooth connectivity may only add a marginal increase of £50 at resale. Parking sensors for the 3.5 tonne market where low-speed reversing damage is more common might also add £50.

Still inside the cab, air-conditioning is highly valued when combined with a bulkhead, otherwise all that cool air dissipates into the load area and simply burns money. Similarly, if a van is being used for start-stop urban deliveries air-conditioning is considered wasteful, because the driver will be in and out of the cab and not getting the benefit.  However, air-con is appealing for vans that do longer distances or where the vehicle doubles as the family transport at the weekends for a tradesperson.

The key message is that spending a little more when you specify a vehicle can pay dividends when it comes to selling, as it will help you secure a fast sale with a strong resale value, effectively lowering the total cost of ownership of your van.

Chipped vans promise up to 15% fuel savings for Homeserve

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Jadon Silva, HomeServe’s Director of Procurement‘Chipping’ vehicles — or remapping their engine control units — is usually associated with improving performance, and generally has a slightly racy image.

However, these days it’s not all about speed: commercial vehicle operators are getting in on the act, in the hope of cutting fuel bills by improving engine efficiency and emissions.

A case in point is Walsall-based home assistance provider HomeServe, which is currently having around half of its fleet remapped by specialist firm Viezu Technologies, who have a solid reputation for commercial-quality remapping solutions (in 2012, it remapped 20,000 vans for BT).

Viezu is deploying its BlueOptimize technology to reducing the fuel consumption and emissions of HomeServe’s existing fleet, and estimates that BlueOptimize can cut fuel use by up to 15 per cent.

Commenting on the initiative, Jadon Silva, HomeServe’s Director of Procurement said:

“I am very proud of the initiative we have introduced with Viezu.  Not only have we been able to make significant reductions in our vehicles emissions, we expect to cut fuel costs by 15 per cent.

The introduction of this technology into our fleet of vans represents both an opportunity to protect the environment whilst also ensuring the fleet continues to operate to its maximum capability.”

The technology is being installed to half of HomeServe’s van fleet, with the remainder set to be completed later this year. The technology consists of bespoke software which includes a combination of throttle, rev, speed and power limiting.

Ford pipes 200 new vans to National Grid gas fleet

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National Grid Ford Transit CustomFord has bagged a total of 15 awards for its new range of vans over the last 12 months, and was recently chosen as ‘Van Manufacturer of the Year 2014’ at the Van Fleet World Awards. The company’s critical success is translating into sales, too, as news of a 200-van delivery to National Grid confirms.

The utility giant has taken delivery of 200 new Transit Custom vans for use by engineers who maintain the firm’s gas supply network. The order is a relative drop in the ocean for National Grid, whose fleet numbers around 3,350 vehicles, but the majority of these also bear the blue oval, making the company a very important customer for Ford UK.

The fully-liveried Ford Transit Custom ECOnetic models, powered by the Dagenham-built 2.2-litre TDCi 100PS diesel engine, are now fully operational throughout the National Grid fleet, equipped with racking systems, first aid equipment and special lighting. The vans are used for emergency call-outs and day-to-day by engineers, including the fitment and repair of gas metering equipment.

Comprehensive racking and safety equipment

The new vans have been comprehensively fitted with racking, first aid and lighting equipment.

Ford direct sales manager Stephen Gafson, said:

“The new Transit Custom is ideally suited to its role with National Grid and financially it clearly makes sense to the company, too. We are very pleased that Ford’s long association with National Grid is to continue.”

The new Transit Custom sold more than 10,000 units in its first year and has been a major success for Ford, bringing its van range into line with manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, who have long offered two different sizes of vans where Ford has managed with a single Transit model.

The Transit Custom is the equivalent to the Transporter (VW) and Vito (Merc) models and will shortly be joined on UK roads by Ford’s new two-tonne Transit, which will give the firm a direct challenger for the Sprinter, Crafter, Ducato and Relay.

AA takes 90 Volkswagen Transporters for VW contract, natch…

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AA Roadside Volkswagen Transporter

Some of the silver-liveried VW Transporters the AA will use on its dedicated VW roadside assistance service.

In business, ‘eating your own dog food’ is often a key measure of credibility — and many firms expect this loyalty to extend to their customers, too.

It is no surprise, therefore, that Volkswagen is supplying the AA with 90 new VW Transporters to use for its dedicated Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles roadside assistance service.

The silver vans are fitted with specialist tools and the latest VAS equipment, including a diagnostic interface that connects to customers’ vehicles to identify problems quickly. The system also allows technicians to carry out the latest software updates at the side of the road.

As well as boosting its fleet with new Transporters, the AA is also investing in a dedicated call centre at its headquarters in the West Midlands that will handle all customer roadside assistance enquiries. Technicians will be on hand 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and all will be specially trained to work on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

The new roadside assistance partnership means the AA will be available to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles customers anywhere in the UK. The service includes home assistance, European cover, a dedicated UK-based customer service centre and delivery of customers’ cars to any UK destination including Volkswagen’s dedicated Van Centre network.

The new AA Transporters will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, carry only genuine Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle parts and tools, and patrol staff will be Volkswagen trained technicians, to ensure the best possible care.

Citroën celebrates 100,000th van fitted with Teletrac telematics

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Citroën Relay 35 L3H2 (l) and L1H1 (r)

The new Citroën Relay van — Teletrac telematics is now standard on all Relay, Berlingo and Dispatch vans.

All new Citroën Berlingo, Dispatch and Relay panel vans are now fitted with the Teletrac telematics system as standard, and Citroën recently celebrated the registration of the 100,000th van to be fitted with the system, which was historically an option.

Given that the system is set to become so widespread in UK vans, I thought I should take a closer look at what Teletrac telematics offers van drivers and operators.

Teletrac is part of the Trafficmaster group, the Citroën Teletrac package includes Smartnav satellite navigation and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking.

It also provides the telematics platform for Teletrac’s optional, low cost, Fleet Director real-time fleet management services.

The latest Teletrac system fitted to Citroën LCVs includes a bigger, higher resolution 5-inch colour screen. This provides greater clarity for the Smartnav map display and the system’s many functions highlighted across the bottom of the screen.

Save 20,000 days per year

Citroën claims that the Teletrac Smartnav package saves the equivalent of circa 20,000 working days per year due to congestion avoidance. During the course of a year, around 4,000,000 routes are downloaded by Citroën LCV drivers. Smartnav Personal Assistants also deal with some 40,000 routing and other queries, including emergency calls.

The Citroën Teletrac system provides significant CO2 reductions and running cost savings through more efficient routing and congestion avoidance. It also reduces driver stress levels by up to 33%, with an associated reduction in risk and improved safety. In addition, the Trackstar stolen vehicle recovery system results in a near-100% recovery rate for stolen Citroën LCVs – the majority of which are recovered within one hour.

Citroën is the only manufacturer in the UK to offer LCVs fitted with stolen vehicle tracking as standard.  Any Trackstar enabled Citroën LCV can be located within moments of it being reported missing. Once a vehicles is confirmed as being stolen, the Trackstar control centre informs the police of the van’s whereabouts – even if it is still moving – allowing the police to have a more detailed and accurate location of the vehicle in order to recover it quickly.

Cut costs

The Fleet Director option provides fleet managers with a full range of services, including optimised routing on multi-drop runs, live vehicle reporting, two-way messaging and vehicle or driver management reports, all of which are usually shown to be highly cost effective. Vans can also be ‘geofenced’ to ensure, and then prove, that they are being used within a specific area and are not used at weekends or out of hours. The system can also be used to record when vehicles arrive and leave specific locations.

As with most technology in the transport industry, its detractors (usually drivers) say that it’s like having a spy in the cab and suggests that their employer doesn’t trust them, or thinks they aren’t competent.

However, to think like this is to miss the obvious problem: all transport is a cost to businesses — high fuel costs and a competitive marketplace mean that all transport operators need to minimise costs, and in many cases the evidence that telematics saves money is very strong indeed.

Another benefit is customer service: in this day and age, being ‘en-route and out of contact’ simply isn’t good enough: both customers and operators expect to know where their vans — and drivers — are at all times.

We will inevitably be seeing much more telematics in years to come — I have little doubt that telematics and navigational systems will become as standard as radios and electric windows over the next decade, thanks to the benefits they provide.

Scottish SPCA stays loyal to Citroën with 70-van order

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Scottish SPCA Citroen Berlingo vansA major repeat order for new Citroën vans has recently been signed by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA), to support their vital rescue and animal protection work.

The bulk of the near 70-strong order is for Citroën Berlingo HDi 75 manual L1 Enterprise models, all of which have been supplied by Citroën dealer Park’s Motor Group, East Kilbride. The order also includes a number of Relay and Dispatch models.

The Scottish SPCA requires specific equipment for these vehicles, including specialised flooring, animal cages, hand-washing facilities and search lights for night-time rescues. Most of the Berlingo vans will cover between 20,000 and 30,000 miles annually, depending on location.

The new Berlingos will sport the Scottish SPCA’s trademark black and white livery, and will be used for its animal rescue and re-homing work. The Berlingo vans will be used by the Society’s inspectors, animal rescue officers and staff, who will make full use of the space and specialist equipment in their work.

The Scottish SPCA – a long-term Citroën LCV operator – values the low whole life costs and versatility of the Berlingo vans, which are being operated on SG Fleet UK Limited three year contract hire agreements.

Scottish SPCA Finance Manager, John Allan, says:

“When we considered the choice of manufacturer for this latest van order, we had no hesitation in continuing our long relationship with Citroën. Our front-line staff rescue and care for vulnerable and desperate animals and they fully appreciate the space the vans have for cages and the equipment we specify. As a charity, we also appreciate the low operating costs of these vans, which enable the Society to spend more on our core animal rescue activity.”

The Scottish SPCA was established in 1839 and its inspectors and animal rescue officers attend to thousands of domestic, farm and wild animals every year. The Scottish SPCA’s vets and staff in its animal rescue and re-homing centres look after, rehabilitate and find homes for thousands more.

Volkswagen heads north with 30-van Scottish parcels deal

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AJG Parcels Volkswagen Crafter vansScotland’s ‘Highland and Islands’ courier specialist, AJG Parcels Ltd, has inked a deal with Volkswagen to take delivery of 30 new Crafter vans, replacing 25% of its current fleet.

Inverness-based AJG Parcels operates in the Scottish Highlands, Islands and Argyll, where its collection and delivery service is crucial for local businesses and residents.

The firm chose the Volkswagen Crafter for its famed reliability, low running costs and ability to deliver large volumes of goods in some of the UK’s most remote locations in all conditions. Thanks to its flexible load area (up to 17m3) and heavy-duty payloads (up to 2,604kg), the Crafter was the perfect choice for AJG Parcels when it came to replacing its fleet.

The firm was founded 22 years ago as a husband and wife operation delivering just 20 parcels a day. Today, it boasts a 150-strong workforce and handles over 9,000 parcel deliveries plus 800 parcel collections every day with its delivery network spread throughout Argyll, Highlands and Islands.

Fraser MacLean, operations director at AJG Parcels Ltd, said:

“Reliability is key in the parcel industry, where we constantly find ourselves working under time-critical conditions. This is why we had no hesitation in turning to Volkswagen when it came to updating our fleet.

“This order signals the final stages of a significant investment geared at updating over 25 per cent of our delivery vehicles with more up-to-date models. With a solid reputation for quality and dependability, combined with vehicles’ residual values, Volkswagen was an obvious choice for our business.”

I’ve travelled extensively around the Highlands and Northern Isles of Scotland, and the yellow and red AJG vans are a common sight — I believe they subcontract for a number of the mainstream courier companies, and they certainly seem to reach the parts that other courier firms don’t reach!