Category Archives: Vans In Business

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

Nissan Delivers NV200 Vans For Bridgestone-Ulsterbus Tyre Contract

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Nissan NV200 Bridgestone-Ulsterbus

One of Bridgestone’s Nissan NV200 vans, which will be used to service a new tyre contract with Ulsterbus.

Nissan has continued to make inroads into the UK fleet market with a new deal to supply seven tyre maintenance vans to Japanese tyre giant Bridgestone, to service a new Bridgestone contact with Ulsterbus, which operates bus services all over Northern Ireland.

The initial order comprises seven Nissan NV200 vans that will be used across the entirety of Northern Ireland. Each van, driven by trained Bridgestone tyre technicians, contains state-of-the-art equipment that will allow them to conduct portable tyre inspections on Ulsterbus buses from any remote location.

Technicians will also be moving tyres and fitting equipment to the Ulsterbus fleet using their vans as mobile service units. Each Bridgestone-liveried Nissan NV200 is expected to cover 20,000 miles a year and will be fitted with internal plylining to increase its durability.

Feedback from Bridgestone drivers has already been positive with the NV200 praised for its spacious load capacity and driver comfort over long distances.

Nichola Randall, Bridgestone fleet manager said:

“The initial driver response to the new vans has been great. With a combination of strong and reliable performance and generous storage space, our technicians will be able to deliver an efficient and high quality service to Ulsterbus across the country.”

Citroën Berlingo Spices Up Schwartz Merchandising Fleet

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Citroen Berlingo operated by Schwartz

One of 232 new Citroen Berlingo vans purchased by herb and spice company Schwartz for its UK merchandising operations.

Schwartz, the UK’s best-known herbs and spices brand, has just taken delivery of 232 Citroën Berlingo HDi Crew Vans. The Berlingos will be used by its nationwide team of Retail Sales Merchandisers and Field Support Merchandisers.

In addition to the Berlingo Crew Van’s high level of standard equipment, Schwartz has specified air conditioning and metallic paint in Artic Steel or Shark Grey.

Schwartz has also upgraded the Berlingo’s standard Trafficmaster telematics platform – which includes Smartnav satellite navigation and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking – to include Fleet Director, which is an optional real time fleet management package.

Tracey Hoare, Schwartz Field Support Manager, commented:

“After an intense, two-year vehicle evaluation process, we decided that the Berlingo Crew Van provided the optimum combination of required operational benefits. These included improved load security and increased load space to allow for seasonal peaks, lower running costs and the ability for our drivers to carry their friends and families out of hours.”

The Berlingo Crew Vans were handed over to the Schwartz Retail Merchandise Team at 13 different UK locations enabling each driver to have a full demonstration of the Berlingo Crew Vans’ many features and to learn how to get full benefit from the advanced Trafficmaster telematics system.

Supplied by dealer Citroën London West, the Schwartz order is one of the largest placed for the 5-seat Citroën Berlingo Crew Vans. They are being operated on Lex Autolease two-year, with maintenance, contract hire agreements. Mileages vary from 13,500 to 23,500 miles per annum, dependent on the location of the Schwartz Retail Merchandise operative’s area.

Martin Hamill, Citroën’s Fleet Director explained:

“We are delighted to be supplying Schwartz, the nations’ favourite herb and spice company, with Berlingo Crew Vans. These vans offer the Schwartz Retail Merchandise team the flexibility of being able to use their vehicles 7-days a week, with the added benefit of much lower Benefit In Kind tax liability than their previous MPVs.”

Schwartz, owned by McCormick and Company Incorporated, is the world’s largest producer of herbs and spices.  The company supplies retail outlets, food manufacturers and food service businesses, with herbs, spices, seasonings and flavourings.

Each Schwartz Retail Sales Merchandiser has their own dedicated area in which to build customer relationships through regular visits; taking orders, delivering stock, replenishing the herb and spice displays within the store and altering the product offering, depending on seasonal variations.

Toyota Proace Is First Choice For Toyota Forklift Service Fleet

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A Toyota Material Handling UK Toyota Proace

Toyota Material Handling UK has chosen the Proace for its sales and service engineer fleet and has purchased 116 of the new vans, which replace the old Hiace model.

Toyota Material Handling has ordered more than 100 Toyota Proace vans for its service engineer fleet.

The firm provides national sales and servicing for Toyota forklift trucks and warehouse equipment, and says that it found the Proace to be the best vehicle on offer, “thanks to its functionality and excellent cost-of-ownership performance”.

Although Toyota Material Handling claims that the Proace ‘was no shoo-in’ and won the contract on its own merits, it’s probably fair to say that Toyota’s forklift customers would think it a bit odd if the firm’s service engineers didn’t use a Toyota van, when a suitable model was available.

It’s also fair to say that Toyota’s UK distributors would feel justifiably miffed if the Proace hadn’t been chosen — what chance would they have of selling the van to anyone else, if their own company wouldn’t use it?

Suffice it to say that the choice of the Proace, which is a rebandged Peugeot Expert/Citroen Dispatch/Fiat Scudo, was no surprise. The deal is the Proace’s first major UK fleet contract and consists of 116 vans, each of which will be a long wheelbase/standard roof height model, powered by a 2.0-litre, 126bhp diesel engine.

Phill Bird, who’s After-Sales Director for Slough-based Toyota Material Handling UK, is delighted that the Toyota Proace will be the tool of choice for his team. Bird commented:

“After a rigorous process of testing the Toyota Proace ticked all the boxes for comfort, efficiency and effectiveness for our field technicians. Their vehicles are more than just a van, they have to provide a spacious environment providing parts storage and a mobile workshop to deliver our trademark of world class support and the Proace provides both with comfort and style to match.”

The new Proace replaces the European version of the Hiace, which was never a big seller, and offers a choice nine different configurations, including two vehicle lengths, two height options, payloads of one or 1.2 tonnes and a choice of three diesel engines. The versions selected by TMHUK have been fitted with racking by specialist supplier Bott inside the capacious, 6m3 loadspace.

The comfort and safety of TMHUK’s workforce will be addressed by a standard Proace equipment specification that includes ABS with emergency brake assist, VSC stability control, driver and front passenger airbags and air conditioning. The vans are also fitted with Bluetooth, electric windows, driver’s seat height adjustment and reach and rake adjustment for the steering wheel.

New FUSO Canter Is Prize Catch For Salmon Fishery

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Wester Ross Fisheries FUSO Canter 7.5t truck

Wester Ross Fisheries’ new FUSO Canter 7.5t truck.

West Highlands-based salmon farmer Wester Ross Fisheries has just replaced its four-year old 7.5-tonne FUSO Canter with a like-for-like replacement, highlighting the firm’s satisfaction with this no-nonsense light truck model.

One of the Canter’s biggest strengths over European models is its superior payload — Wester Ross’ new flat-bed Canter has a 4,085kg payload, which is, as Gilpin Bradley, the firm’s managing director points out, “as good as it gets for a 7.5-tonner”.

The new Canter is fitted with a 20ft alloy platform body and is a range-topping 7C18 model, with a 175hp engine and DUONIC automated manual transmission.

The truck will be used for general purpose duties, and undertakes a wide variety of tasks, such as moving pens and other materials between sites, all of which are within an hour’s drive of each other, collecting ice used when harvesting, and transporting fish for primary processing.

Although the Canter’s cab may not offer the level of sophistication found in European truck models like Mercedes’ own Atego, its compact dimensions and light weight are far more important for this kind of short-distance, rural work.

Discussing his latest purchase, Wester Ross Managing Director Gilpin Bradley is keen to emphasis that the Canter’s class-leading payload remains its key attraction:

“We switched to our first Canter because it offered a significantly higher carrying capacity than our previous vehicles. This remains our most important consideration and with its lightweight body our new truck has a payload of 4,085 kg, which is as good as it gets for a 7.5-tonner.

“We specified the higher output engine on this occasion because there are a lot of hills in this part of the world and we didn’t want the vehicle to be working too hard. Our last Canter was exceptionally reliable and I’m confident the same will be true of its successor.”

Wester Ross Fisheries is Scotland’s oldest independent, owner-operated salmon farm, and unlike many of its competitors, all fish are hand-reared — not simply monitored by cameras and machines.

Merc Citan Wins Sales With Unlimited Mileage Warranty

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Tower Security's new Mercedes-Benz Citan

Tower Security’s new Mercedes-Benz Citan (plus a man trying to get through a locked door)

The Mercedes-Benz Citan is winning buyers thanks to its expected combination of two classic Merc virtues; high-mileage reliability and premium economy and performance.

Miles Hill, who is Managing Director of Essex-based Tower Security, needed a new van to operate roving security controls to clients’ premises and homes. The van will operate 24 hours a day and is expected to cover 100,000 miles a year, and faced with this demanding usage cycle, some competitors came up short, as Hill explains:

“We were on the verge of buying another make of van which was a bit cheaper ‘up front’ – until I asked for a price to cover three years’ servicing. Because of the high mileage we cover it was hugely expensive, and the vehicle would have been out of warranty after the first year.

“By contrast,” he continues, “the Citan’s servicing costs from Colchester dealer Orwell Truck & Van were very competitive. And it came with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, which says a great deal about the confidence that Mercedes-Benz has in its product.

Tower Security’s Citan is a long-bodied 109 CDI BlueEFFICENCY model that’s powered by an economical 90 hp diesel engine and equipped with a series of clever BlueEFFICIENCY measures designed to further reduce fuel consumption.

These include the 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 – low rolling resistance tyres and optimised alternator and battery management systems. The result is a market-leading economy figure of up to 65.7 mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 112 g/km.

Mr Hill continues:

“The Citan is using a lot less fuel than our other vans and represents a huge step forward for us in terms of quality. Mercedes-Benz also has a great brand image and our new van looks a lot more professional when we’re visiting clients’ premises.”

“The manufacturer’s warranty was worth the purchase price premium on its own. But once we’d also factored in the Citan’s servicing costs and fuel efficiency it really was an easy decision – our new Mercedes-Benz will save us a fortune in the long run.”

Tower Security offers a fully manned and comprehensive service which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and includes everything from key holding to static guards, dog handlers, and event security.

Mercedes-Benz Citan Is Hit With Global Customers

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Global Self Drive Mercedes-Benz fleet

Global Self Drive operates more than 1,000 vehicles, most of which are Mercedes

The newest small van on the block is proving popular with a wide variety of customers, including van hire companies, according to several recent reports. Peterborough-based Global Self Drive recently purchased its first 25 Citans, and had placed them all on rental with major account customers within days.

The company has since purchased an additional 52 Citans to add to its predominantly Mercedes fleet, which is based at its head office in Peterborough, as well as other outlets in Cambridge, Colchester, Grantham and Ipswich and at a new corporate office at Stansted, which serves operators based in and around London.

Launched earlier this year, the Citan marks the entry of Mercedes-Benz into the small van market and leads the field in terms of fuel efficiency, achieving up to 65.7 mpg and producing CO2 emissions as low as 112 g/km.

Global Self Drive’s Citans have all been Long-bodied 109 CDIs with 90 hp diesel engines, and Managing Director Darren Reeves says that the Citan represents an exciting new addition to the portfolio of products which his company offers for long-term contract and ‘spot’ hire.

“The Citan fills a gap in the Mercedes-Benz line-up and is a very welcome addition to the range,” he says. “It offers all of the attributes of quality, reliability and driver appeal that make Mercedes-Benz vehicles such a popular choice with our customers, but in a small and highly fuel-efficient package.

“Indeed,” he continues, “the Citan’s economy is its biggest advantage. Many of our vehicles cover big mileages and as it’s the customers who pay at the pumps, being able to offer them the most fuel-efficient vehicles is crucial to the success of our business. We’ve been greatly encouraged by some of the savings in diesel costs that customers are reporting.”

Global Self Drive maintains its fleet in-house but relies on Orwell Truck & Van and other members of the Mercedes-Benz dealer network for parts and warranty support, and for emergency back-up.

Is This The Hottest Vito On The Road?

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Mr Raja's customised Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport X

Mr Raja’s customised Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport X, including a purple vinyl wrap!

Distribution company boss Zamir Raja chooses Mercedes-Benz trucks and vans for their unwavering reliability and low operating costs. When it comes to his personal transport, though, he prefers a vehicle with a touch more individuality and flair.

That vehicle is the dynamic Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport-X, a machine that proves you can mix business with pleasure.

Powered by a fire-breathing V6 engine that pumps out an eye-watering 224 hp, and with muscular Brabus-styled looks to match, the Sport-X is the van industry’s “wolf in wolf’s clothing”.

Mr Raja, the Managing Director of Hemel Hempstead-based Multi Distribution Ltd (MDL) has just taken delivery from Hatfield dealer S & B Commercials of his third successive Vito Sport-X.

Mr Raja has personalised his new van by wrapping it in vibrant purple vinyl, with co-ordinated interior details to match. The result is a vehicle which, with its 18-inch alloy wheels, customised spoiler and chrome sidebars, is guaranteed to turn heads wherever it goes.

“I just love the Vito Sport-X,” he declares. “It’s a vehicle that appeals to the heart as well as the head by being roomy and practical, yet at the same time beautiful. Plus, of course, it’s fast and great fun to drive.”

Not that the manufacturer makes any concessions when it comes to safety. In addition to the market-leading armoury of active and passive features fitted as standard to other models in the Mercedes-Benz van range, the Vito Sport-X also gets powerful bi-xenon headlamps with LED daytime driving lights.

Multi Distribution was founded by Mr Raja in 1999, and operates a 73 vehicle, all Mercedes-Benz fleet from its headquarters in Hemel Hempstead, and from other depots in Croydon and east London. The company specialises in the delivery of office supplies and furniture throughout southern England for an impressive portfolio of customers, the biggest of them being VOW Europe.

Latest additions to the Multi Distribution fleet are a pair of 7.5-tonne Atego trucks with GM Billings curtainside bodies and 1.0-tonne Dhollandia column tail-lifts, and two 3.5-tonne Sprinter 313 CDI Lutons by Allied Bodies, their extra volume capacity allowing them to carry more bubble-wrapped furniture than a panel van (see here for the vanrental.co.uk guide to van sizes)

The Competition Is Drained As EEG Chooses More Sprinters

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EEG Mercedes Sprinter drain maintenance van

One of EEG’s 5-tonne Mercedes Sprinter drain maintenance vans

Drain maintenance specialist EEG is used to dealing with unpleasant waste below the ground — but when the company’s crews are on the road, they demand the best. EEG Fleet Manager Douglas Stewart explains why the company has just purchased a new fleet of 17 customised 5-tonne Sprinter 513 CDI vans:

“These vehicles represent a new venture for us. But we already run around 50 Sprinter vans with CCTV equipment, which we use to inspect drains.

“We’ve been relying on Sprinters since 2002 and although they rack up some very high mileages, only very rarely does one suffer a problem. You can’t buy that sort of reliability anywhere other than Mercedes-Benz.”

Each of EEG’s new Sprinters is fitted with bespoke body with water tank, jetting and suction equipment by Dutch specialist Rioned. Each van is a miniature version of the company’s fleet of 300 26- and 32-tonne trucks, which provide drain maintenance services for larger properties, but are too small to serve the company’s domestic customers.

Glasgow-based EEG is one of the UK’s largest providers of drainage and sewer cleaning, inspection and repair services, providing nationwide reactive and emergency maintenance and repair coverage. Operating from 23 main and satellite sites, it offers multi-utility solutions to clients ranging from local authorities and utility companies to industrial and corporate businesses.

The 5.0-tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is available as a chassis cab, on which a wide variety of bodes can be fitted, or as a panel van. EEG’s latest vans are powered by fuel-efficient 129hp engines which are cleaner, more powerful and more economical than the equivalent model from the previous Sprinter range.

Graphics Firm Is ‘Citan’ly Happy With Mercedes Van Family!

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Dragon Signs & Prints fleet of Mercedes-Benz vans - Citan, Vito and Sprinter

Dragon Signs & Print’s fleet of Mercedes-Benz vans – Citan, Vito and Sprinter

It’s been a long time since Mercedes-Benz offered a small van, meaning that van operators needing this choice have been forced to choose another marque, or absorb the cost of running Mercedes’ larger model, the Vito.

The introduction of the new Citan, in February, changed this, and Mercedes now offers a full range of van sizes, from the Citan upwards. One firm that has taken advantage of the German company’s new offering is Cardiff-based Dragon Signs & Print, which supplies exterior and interior signage and vehicle livery services.

The company’s Citan 109 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Extra-long Dualiner is now working alongside examples from the two other model lines – the Vito and the Sprinter – which make up the core Mercedes-Benz van range.

The inherent economy of the 109 CDI model’s 90 hp diesel engine is enhanced for Dragon by a series of clever BlueEFFICIENCY measures including the 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 – low rolling resistance tyres and optimised alternator and battery management systems. The result is a market-leading economy figure of up to 65.7 mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 112 g/km.

Managing Director Rhys Harrington and his brother-in-law Adrian Ward, the Technical Director, founded their company seven years ago.

“I’m a big fan of Mercedes-Benz vans,” says Mr Harrington. “They’re reliable, practical, comfortable and cost-effective to operate, while they also convey an image of quality which can only reflect well on our own business.

“I also have a great relationship with the dealer. Product quality is important, of course, but so, too, is service – I’m a great believer in the idea that ‘people buy from people’ and Euro Commercials look after us very well.”

As a Dualiner model Dragon’s Citan is fitted with a split-folding bench seat behind the driver’s and front passenger’s seats, allowing it to carry up to five members of the company team in comfort and safety. The Extra-long configuration still leaves a practical load compartment length of more than 1.3 metres.

Dragon Signs & Print also operates a pair of mid-sized Vito vans, a 109 CDI and a stylish 116 CDI Sport Dualiner. Completing the line-up is a Long-bodied 3.5-tonne Sprinter.

“We use the Sprinter for large external signage installations and the two Vito models for most routine projects,” continues Mr Harrington. “But even they’ve been too big on occasion, which is where the Citan comes in. It’s ideal as a little runaround for smaller jobs, and means that we’re able to restrict our fuel costs to an absolute minimum.”

Nissan Continues Fleet Market Growth With Two New Wins

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Barkers Group new Nissan vans

The new fleet of Barker Group Nissans

Nissan has continued to make progress with its drive into the fleet market with two further SME wins, include one where the customer chose to switch to Nissan from Mercedes-Benz.

Bournemouth-based Barker Group, the long established laundry and dry cleaning company, will now use six Primastars and one NV400 (click here for our guide to van sizes) to cover the firm’s operations in the southern counties, including some blue chip clients in London.

The vehicles were chosen by Barker Group after a search to find a better value alternative to the Mercedes LCVs that were previously on its fleet. A detailed presentation led by Nissan Westway Fleet Operations revealed the Nissan vehicles selected offer the best value for pence-per-mile operation.

Matthew Barker, Barker Group managing director said:

“We’re really excited by the new partnership with Nissan that will allow us to grow our business even further. As well as offering fantastic value for money we’ve received great early feedback from drivers about the performance and versatility of the vehicles.”

In the Midlands, Derby-based plumbing and heating firm Vinshire Plumbing and Heating has also made the choice to switch to Nissan, and has added 11 NV200s to its fleet for use by its servicing and maintenance engineers. The vans will cover up to 20,000 miles per year and have been well-received so far, as Vinshire’s Quality Control Manager Simon Burdell explains:

“The NV200s have proved to be a great addition to our fleet and are ideal for the needs of both our maintenance and installation engineers. The feedback has been universally positive so far with the ordering of more vehicles from Nissan a real possibility.”

Although Nissan’s overall share of the UK van market remains small, the firm’s ongoing stream of wins suggests that it is committed to the UK LCV market and can offer highly competitive running costs compared to the ‘incumbent’ manufacturers.