Category Archives: Vans In Business

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

All-New Ford Transit Connect Is A Hit With Mears Group

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Deliveries of the all-new Ford Transit Connect van have begun to Mears Group – a major building maintenance services provider – which is receiving its first 100 new Fords this month.

The all-new Ford Transit Connect, and its larger sibling the Ford Transit Custom, were key models helping to secure a five-year contract with Mears, with Ford supplying up to 1,000 light commercial vehicles a year. The Gloucester-based company expanded its fleet last year and now manages 4,300 vans and 700 cars nationwide.

Mears Group asset manager, Jo Hammonds, said:

“The new Ford Transit Connect’s fresh styling, greater load space, better economy, emissions and whole-life costs are the factors which make it a very attractive prospect for us.”

Ford Transit Connect operated by Mears Group

Deliveries of 100 all-new Ford Transit Connect have begun to Mears Group.

Mears’ vans are used by the company’s 16,000-strong workforce to provide response and planned maintenance services to local authorities and registered social landlords, delivering 6,000 repairs a day to a portfolio of nearly one million properties.

The all-new Ford Transit Connect offers practicality and flexibility as standard, providing up to 3.6m³ of load space in long wheelbase models, and can carry up to 1,000kg of cargo.

An ingenious load-through bulkhead also accommodates long load items up to 3m, while the flexible dual front passenger seat means three occupants can sit comfortably in the front.

Transit Connect is offered with a choice of advanced petrol and diesel engines, including the award-winning 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine, which delivers 100PS and 170Nm of torque with a six-speed manual transmission. Combined with other fuel-saving technologies, such as Auto-Start-Stop, it achieves fuel savings of up to 24%, and CO2 emissions that are up to 25% lower than the previous model.

Merc Dealer Intercounty Makes Demo Vans More Useful

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Intercounty Mercedes-Benz Citan demonstrator

One of Intercounty’s Mercedes-Benz Citan demonstrators, complete with internal racking and Masternaut telematics.

If you’ve ever test driven a car or van before buying it, you’ll know that most test drives only provide a very limited idea of a vehicle’s capability — in most cases, all you’re able to do is check that it works properly and doesn’t have any obvious problems.

Commercial vehicle dealers often make vans available for longer demo periods — days or even weeks — and that can work well for hauliers and couriers, who typically don’t require any special fittings or customisation; they simply load it up with pallets or boxes and drive it around their usual routes.

However, there are a significant number of van buyers who do need a lot of customisation. The UK’s army of mobile technicians, service engineers and tradesmen tend to have their vans fitted with various combinations of internal racking, roof racks and customised load compartments  — and then there is the question of telematics, which are increasingly widely used by all van operators, but normally missing from demo vans.

Wellingborough-based Intercountry Truck & Van recently decided to try and make some of its Mercedes-Benz demonstrators more useful, by fitting them with top quality racking and telematics, so that customers who use their vans as mobile workshops could have a realistic idea of how Merc’s latest models might perform in service.

Intercounty teamed up with racking manufacturer Bott, and telematics specialist Masternaut, to target businesses from the service sector – plumbers and telecoms engineers, for example. Intercounty is now offering demonstrators from the three model lines that make up the current Mercedes-Benz van family: the Citan, the Vito and the recently launched new Sprinter.

Each has been fitted with space-efficient Bott racking and a Mastenaut telematics system, allowing would-be customers to gain an accurate impression of the vehicle’s performance with their own working environment. Steve Shakespeare, Dealer Principal at Intercounty Truck & Van, explains:

“It makes no sense when you’re trying to win orders from service providers, to give them an empty van for trial.

“What are they to do with it? They can’t put it to work to see how it performs in a real life situation, because it’s not properly kitted out to carry their tools and equipment. Nor do they have the very latest in telematics solutions, with which to measure accurately the van’s impressive fuel economy, monitor the driver’s style and behaviour, or utilise mapping software to aid their own efficiency.

The new fully-specced van demonstrators are already proving popular with operators.  Intercounty has three models:

  • A Citan 109 CDI Long fitted with Bott’s ‘Modulo’ racking, which can be configured and ordered online, and home-fitted in just 60 minutes;
  • A Vito 113 CDI Long, with robust and affordable ‘Uno’ racking, and
  • A new model Sprinter 313 CDI Long, with lightweight, reinforced racking from Bott’s ‘Vario’ range.

All three vehicles have also been equipped by Masternaut with telematics systems that feature ‘eco-drive’ driver-awareness software, which can improve vehicle economy by 10-15%; ‘live’ dynamic map-based tools for best-in-class business reporting, and tax & expense manager, a system claimed to be “the most accurate mileage collection technology on the market”.

The vans are available by arrangement from Intercounty’s branches at Boston, Lincoln, Milton Keynes and Peterborough.

Banbury Council’s 4X4 Fuso Canter Is Snow Joke

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Banbury Council 4x4 Fuso Canter

Banbury Town Council’s 4×4 FUSO Canter is equipped for snow clearing and off-road duties and will be used to help distribute grit and keep minor roads clear in winter conditions.

I’m always a sucker for any 4×4 vans and small lorries, and Banbury Council’s latest acquisition, a 6.5t, 4×4 Fuso Canter is a fine example.

Equipped with a demountable snow plough blade and grit hopper, it also has a dropside body a 5.0 tonne/metre Hiab XS 055 crane that can lift one-tonne bags of grit, Banbury Council hopes that the Canter will be a key weapon in its mission to keep the town moving when it snows.

The Canter’s arrival coincides with the recruitment by Banbury Town Council of teams of volunteer ‘snow wardens’, who are being provided with shovels, high visibility jackets and gloves, as well as training sessions on how to clear snow effectively and safely from minor roads and pavements in their neighbourhoods.

The authority hopes to be able to call upon some 200 of these wardens when temperatures plummet. Town Council Leader Kieron Mallon was inspired to launch the scheme after one of his constituents was unable to get his frozen car off his drive last winter to take his daughter – who was in labour – to hospital, because the grit bin in his street was empty.

“We want volunteers to link with each other so there will be a co-ordinated response to clearing the roads,” he says. “It’s a good use of council tax payers’ money if we can keep Banbury moving in adverse weather conditions, so people can still go about their daily lives.”

The 4×4 model combines the road-going Canter’s well-established virtues of rugged reliability and low running costs, with high traction, a limited slip differential on the rear axle, and a body and payload allowance of up to 3,880 kg. The 4×4 chassis is also significantly higher than standard Canter variants, the increased ground clearance allowing uneven terrain and steep slopes to be tackled with confidence.

Banbury’s FUSO Canter has a 129 kW (175 hp) engine and five-speed manual gearbox with dashboard-mounted shift lever for easy cross-cab access. Drive to the front axle can be selected or disengaged on the move, to maximise the efficient engine’s excellent fuel economy.

Now, all we need is some snow!

New Customer Receives 20 Citan Vans In Two Weeks

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A TSG Building Services Mercedes-Benz Citan van

One of TSG’s new Citan vans.

It took the team at Merc dealer Rygor’s Heathrow branch just two weeks to deliver the first 20 Mercedes-Benz Citan vans ordered by central heating contractor TSG Building Services plc after it landed two new contracts and needed extra vans fast.

A specialist supplier to local authorities and housing associations, TSG is now running 54 Citans, as well as nine larger Vito models. All are the subject of a CharterWay contract hire agreement from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services under which they will each cover 20,000 miles a year.

The new vans have been allocated to TSG service engineers who work throughout the South and South-East. They will be maintained by Rygor, Britain’s biggest Mercedes-Benz Dealer, at the operator’s headquarters in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, as well as at other locations.

Launched last year, the Citan is the smallest van ever to wear a three-pointed star. It leads the field in terms of fuel efficiency, achieving up to 65.7 mpg and producing CO2 emissions as low as 112 g/km. As I’ve documented over the last few months, it’s making steady progress in the fleet market, thanks to its high quality, fuel efficiency, and the appeal of the three-pointed star.

TSG’s Citans are all Long-bodied 109 CDIs with 66 kW (90 hp) diesel engines and optional Bluetooth telephony. Rygor fitted their Rhino roof racks and co-ordinated the application by TLC Signs, of Feltham, of TSG’s livery.

TSG Managing Director Ben Thrussell confirms:

“This is our first experience of operating Mercedes-Benz vehicles and Rygor have been extremely efficient in handling our enquiry and subsequent order.

“We required delivery of 20 vehicles within just a couple of weeks, as we had won two new contracts and needed our engineers on site with their vehicles as a matter of urgency.

“We also wanted to ensure that our fleet changes were carried out before the onset of winter and the colder weather, to avoid downtime during our busiest period. Rygor delivered the vans efficiently and effectively to a weekly schedule, causing the minimum stress to our drivers and interruption to our operation.”

Founded more than 50 years ago as a small central heating installation business, TSG now offers a broad range of services, from volume domestic and commercial boiler installations to long-term maintenance contracts. The fast-growing company operates 120 vans in total – while roughly half of its new Mercedes-Benz vehicles have replaced older vehicles, the rest represent extensions to its fleet.

Sky’s The Limit As VW Receives Order For 930 Caddy Vans

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Volkswagen Caddy in Sky liveryVolkswagen Commercial Vehicles has strengthened its relationship with Sky in a deal that will see the van manufacturer supply an additional 1,120 vehicles to the broadcaster’s fleet.

The agreement is for 930 Caddy Maxi Startline BlueMotion Technology (BMT) and 190 Transporter Startline BMT vehicles.  The vehicles, which will start to be delivered later this month, will boost Sky’s Volkswagen fleet to 2,500.

With more than 10 million TV and broadband customers across the country and thousands of Sky engineer home visits a day, the well-known Sky liveried Volkswagen vans have become a regular sight on British roads.

Operational benefits for Sky include class-leading residual values, and a range of frugal, fuel-efficient engines that emit low levels of CO2, helping to save on fuel costs and reduce the fleet’s impact on the environment.

Other reasons why the Sky team selected the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi include its generous load area – 4.2 m³ and a load length of 2.25 m – and high level of standard equipment, while the Transporter was also selected for its practicality and impressive fuel consumption. Sky was previously a notable fleet customer for Vauxhall’s Vivaro van, but judging from this order, the firm may be moving away from the due-for-replacement Vivaro towards the VW Transporter, for its UK fleet.

All of the new vehicles, which will start to arrive from later this month, have had racking installed and will be wrapped in Sky’s livery.

Merc Citan Is First-Class Choice For Rail Maintenance Firm

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RDL Mercedes-Benz CitanVans bearing the three-pointed star have a long and deserved history for delivering superior quality and economy, and despite its true identity as a re-engineered Renault Kangoo, the Mercedes-Benz Citan is building on that reputation.

One recent convert is rail engineering business Railway Drainage Ltd (RDL), which performs a variety of maintenance and engineering tasks on the UK’s rail network on behalf of Network Rail.

RDL has purchased five Citans for its supervisors, who cover up to 50,000 miles a year travelling around the UK to oversee on-site work.

Staff previously used a ‘mixed bag’ of car-derived vans, 4x4s and pick-ups to visit sites. But after reviewing its transport arrangements the company decided to switch to a single vehicle model.

Safety Director Paul Saddington explains:

“We wanted something that would be cost-effective to run and practical, because our supervisors have to carry tools and equipment, as well as small quantities of materials from time to time.

“The Citan ticked both boxes admirably, while being a Mercedes-Benz it also has the upmarket brand image we were looking for to complement our own reputation as a quality business.”

“The Citan is the perfect size for this role and we’re already achieving some very worthwhile savings on our fuel bill, thanks to its light weight and economical engine.”

RDL’s long-bodied Citan 109 CDIs are powered by 66 kW (90 hp) common-rail diesel engines and were ordered with optional Driver’s Packs, which include air conditioning, Parktronic proximity sensors and electric folding mirrors. The cargo areas, meanwhile, have been fitted with water tanks and heaters to provide washing facilities.

Chancellor Delivers 3% Tax Hike For Van Drivers In Autumn Statement

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MoneyThe Chancellor used last week’s Autumn Statement to sneak in a widely-ignored tax increase for van drivers who are allowed to take their vans home and use them for unrestricted personal use.

Currently, drivers who use their vans for personal use pay a benefit-in-kind (BIK) charge each year, which is added to their tax bills.

The current van BIK rate is £3,000 for van use, and an additional £564 for drivers who get free fuel. A basic rate taxpayer will pay 20% of these amounts, so will have £600 added to their tax bill for van use and £112 for fuel.

The value of the BIK will be increased by 3% from April 2014, meaning that van users will now pay tax on a BIK charge of £3,090 for van use and £581 for fuel. For a basic rate (20%) taxpayer, this equates to £618 and £116.

It’s worth noting that these rules only apply to drivers who use their van for personal use. Simply taking it home with you is no longer enough to incur a charge, and there is also an exemption for using the van to commute and to make occasional, insignificant private use, such as leaving work to visit the dentist, or going to the tip once or twice a year (click here for HMRC factsheet).

To be honest, I can’t imagine that there are many employers left who give employees unfettered personal use of their vans — even less so with unlimited free fuel. I suspect this is most likely to apply to small business directors and owner-operators who do make unlimited personal use of the VAT business vehicles.

Strong Residuals and Flexible Loadspace Make Nemos A Buy For Motor Factor

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Mill Autoquip Citroën Nemo

The Citroën Nemo’s folding passenger seat mean it can carry full exhaust systems, despite its compact dimensions.

The Citroën Nemo isn’t going to be suitable for every job, but it may be bigger than you think. If you’re about to dismiss the Nemo in favour of a larger, more expensive model, it might pay to check one out in the flesh to see if it could work for you.

For example, motor factor Mill Autoquip finds that the Nemo’s Extenso folding passenger seat means that it can fit full exhaust systems into this pint-sized van — not something you’d expect. The firm recently added 40 Nemo vans to its fleet, taking the total number of Citroën vans it operates to more than 100.

The firm’s accountant and Fleet Manager, Tony Watson, explains that the Nemo is big enough for most jobs:

“The Nemo, with its combination of excellent fuel economy, load capacity and the Extenso folding seat – which allows us to carry exhaust systems – fulfils our requirements for most day-to-day deliveries. We use the Berlingos to transport the heavier items, such as parts from our dedicated commercial vehicle branch in Redruth.”

Each Nemo van will make up to 50 drops each day, delivering parts to customers from its 17 depots across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. The company purchases most of its vehicles outright and keeps them for three years during which time they will clock up around 100,000 miles over some challenging terrain.

Despite this demanding duty cycle, the firm finds that the vans also have strong residual appeal, and Watson says that “we still have people queuing up to buy our Citroëns when we have finished with them.”

Travis Perkins’ 5-Tonne Isuzu Delivers 7.5t Benefits At 3.5t Costs

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Travis Perkins Isuzu 5-tonnerAchieving the optimum combination of payload, size and running costs is something that most fleet managers strive for, but with varying degrees of success.

After all, from a customer’s point of view, we’ve all seen large vehicles deliver tiny packages — and seen overloaded vans making multiple trips to do a job that one larger truck could do better.

In the south-west of England, Travis Perkins’ Tool Hire Division believes it has hit on a winning formula with its growing fleet of Isuzu 5-tonne light trucks. Travis Perkins has worked with Isuzu Truck and its local dealer to hone the specification to perfection — with the result that its 5-tonners benefit from a 2,000kg payload, compared to 900kg for the equivalent 3.5t light truck model.

The 5-tonne vehicles can also tow a trailer with an addition 2.8t payload, meaning that — for example — a digger and dumper can be delivered in one journey, rather than two for a 3.5t unit.

The 5-tonner’s running costs are only marginally higher than those of the 3.5t truck, and their added payload means fewer journeys — Andy Ray, Group Fleet Manager at Travis Perkins, is thoroughly sold on the concept:

“The new 5.0 tonne Isuzu plugs the gap [between 3.5t and 7.5t] perfectly. For many of our operations this specification is ideal because the Isuzu 5.0 tonner can undertake some of the jobs a 7.5 or 12 tonne truck can do, but at a fraction of the cost.”

A growing trend?

One outcome of the recession seems to have been that larger operators have experimented with weights, especially in the 3.5t – 12t range. By increasing or decreasing weights, and payloads, it’s often possible to achieve surprising efficiencies, as in Travis Perkins’ case.

Transport is always a cost, never and end goal, and price pressure is huge. Given this, perhaps the biggest surprise is that it’s taken some operators (not necessarily Travis Perkins) so long to work it out…

24/7 Maintenance Firm Chooses Mercedes Sprinters For Total Reliability

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Clearway's new Mercedes-Benz SprintersIf 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.