Category Archives: Vans In Business

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

Autoglass Celebrates 44 Years of Transits

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Autoglass Ford Transit Custom LWB

One of the new Autoglass Ford Transit Custom LWB vans

Not many companies remain loyal to one brand of vehicle for nearly half a century, but Ford Transits have been the mainstay of the Autoglass fleet for 44 years.

The glass-fitting firm recently ordered 90 new long wheelbase Ford Transit Custom vans to update its 1,250-strong Transit van fleet.

The long wheelbase version of the Transit Custom was chosen because like cars, windscreens are getting bigger and more curvacious than they used to be, and require more storage space inside the van.

“The glass we have to carry is getting bigger and therefore so must our vehicles,” said Autoglass fleet manager Ged Raymond. “The 290 long wheel-base Transit Custom meets our needs perfectly and is being well received by our mobile technicians. They have always loved the Ford Transit and they like this one even more thanks to its comfort and drivability.”

Each Autoglass van is specially equipped with racking to carry the firm’s stock-in-trade as well as an electrical conversion unit to provide 240-volt power for tools and equipment. The Transit models used by Autoglass are all supplied through Heartlands Ford in Birmingham, and typically enjoy a four-year/100,000-mile working life.

Mercedes-Benz Sprinters Are Top Choice For Underground Storage

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Mercedes-Benz Sprinter operated by Deepstore

One of Deepstore’s new Sprinter vans.

You may not realise it, but some of the most important and long-lived business and government paper archives are stored deep underground, in disused mines.

The operator of one such mine is records management specialist Deepstore, which is named after its main, archival storage facility — an old salt mine, 150 metres below the ground, in Winsford, Cheshire.

This old mine offers 1.8 million square metres of storage space and provides “unrivalled protection from natural disasters and security risks”, making it ideal for business critical data and is a far cry from the kind of DIY self-storage facilities that you or I might use.

Deepstore recently purchased a brace of six new Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, to replace eight-year old Sprinters that had provided sterling service. The Sprinters don’t actually go underground of course — in fact, these vans will be used to collect and deliver important documents and other assets for clients in and around London.

That’s because Deepstore also operates two not-so-deep active storage facilities, both of which are above ground, in Bromley-by-Bow, East London, and Wallington, near Croydon. It is from these locations that the company’s six new Mercedes-Benz Sprinters operate.

Supplied by dealer SG Smith, of Sydenham, South London, all six are Long-bodied 313 CDI models with 129 hp engines married to six-speed ECO Gear manual transmissions, which have been designed specifically for vans and should help the firm’s drivers maximise fuel economy.

Explaining the choice, Chris Gamble, UK Logistics Manager for Deepstore, says:

“Our new vans replace a previous batch of Sprinters that were nearly eight years old but had proved exceptionally reliable. They were a great testament to the Mercedes-Benz brand.

“It’s crucial that our uniformed drivers should feel safe and confident in their vans so we listened carefully to the feedback we’d had from Bow and Wallington before deciding to go with the Sprinter again.

“They’re certainly big fans of Mercedes-Benz and take great pride in their vehicles. That’s important because given that they spend most of their time working in the centre of London, if they weren’t treated with the utmost care  these vans could easily suffer a lot of damage.”

Deepstore offers same-day and two-hour retrieval services for documents and other material kept at Bow and Wallington. The company uses trucks to trunk nightly between these two facilities and its Cheshire headquarters, from which it delivers items on a next-day basis.

You can find out more about serious storage on Deepstore’s website.

Nissan Fleet Drive Continues As Bodybuilder Bevan Takes 20 NV400 Vans

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Nissan NV400 belonging to Bevan Group

One of Bevan Group’s new Nissan NV400 vans

Nissan’s drive to gain market share in the fleet market has taken another step forward with an order from Bevan Group, one of the UK’s leading vehicle bodybuilders, which has purchased 20 Nissan NV400 vans for use by its national network of mobile technicians.

The fleet of 3.5 tonne GVW front-wheel drive 125PS NV400s in SE trim will be used as mobile workshops to maintain and repair all makes and models of truck and van bodies as well as ancillary equipment such as tail lifts, cranes and roller shutter doors.

Halesowen-based Bevan Group chose Nissan after an extensive test drive programme led by the mobile technicians. They liked the NV400’s performance, low load access height and maximum payload.

Nissan was eventually preferred ahead of vehicles from three other leading manufacturers (it’s interesting to note here that Nissan was — by implication — chosen ahead of Vauxhall and Renault, both of which sell the same van, badged as the Movano and Master respectively).

The vans also feature factory-fitted satellite navigation systems and supplying dealer West Way Nissan has fitted ply-lining kits, deadlocks, alarms, immobilisers and roof-mounted beacons. Bevan will run the vehicles for three years and 105,000 miles.

Simon Dryburgh, Bevan’s Aftercare Manager said:

“By the end of July we’ll have 20 new Nissan vans on the road, that’s six more than we ran previously reflecting the growing demand for our aftercare services.

“The vans are critical for us to help keep our clients’ vehicles on the road. Our team of technicians were impressed with all aspects of the NV400. From a company perspective reliability and running costs are very important and we believe the NV400 will deliver across all of these areas,” he added.

Thanks to the Bevan’s in-house graphics division, the vans’ striking liveries will ensure they also act as a high-profile mobile billboard for Bevan as its technicians travel the length and breadth of the country.

Incidentally, one of Bevan’s own van conversions has featured in these pages before. Bevan’s futuristic ICON luton body aims to cut fuel costs,  something that Lenham Storage has been putting to the test.

This 1981 British Telecom Van Could Be Great For Business

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There’s nothing like a bit of rose-tinted nostalgia to get people in a good mood, and while I’m pretty sure that today’s BT engineers wouldn’t swap their Transits for a classic Dodge Spacevan like the model pictured below, I reckon this van — which is currently for sale — could be a brilliant promotional vehicle for someone or a usable classic for weekend camping trips and days out.

What do you think?

1981 British Telecoms Dodge Spacevan

This 1981 British Telecoms Dodge Spacevan has been fully restored and has just 63k on the clock.

The van itself is a a fully-restored 1981 Dodge Spacevan in the yellow and blue British Telecom livery used in London at the time.

Fully restored seven years ago, this authentic model has the rear-mounted ladder that gives access to the heavy-duty roof rack, making this last-of-the-line Spacevan a useable, eye-catching classic. With over 63,000 miles on the clock, the vehicle also comes with a comprehensive spares package, which is included in the sale. The estimated sale value on the Dodge Spacevan is between £4,500 and £6,500.

Interested parties should get in touch with Anglia Car Auctions, which is selling the van at its next classic car auction in Kings Lynn, on Saturday 22nd June.

Ford Scores Speedy 400-Van Order

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Equipment hire firm Speedy has placed an £8.6m order for 400 new vans and pick-ups with Ford, cementing an 18-year relationship between the two companies.

Ford Transit Custom belonging to Speedy

One of Speedy’s new Ford Transit Customs.

The Speedy order – comprising 380 Ford Transit vans, including new Transit Custom models, and 20 Ford Ranger pick-ups – will be operated through 283 fixed Speedy sites throughout the UK.

Karen Nixon, Ford UK regional fleet manager, said:

“This 400-vehicle order from Speedy is testament to the reliability of Ford’s award-winning commercial vehicle range and evidence of the outstanding commitment Ford makes to its fleet customers. Ford’s on-going investment in low-CO2 technology is helping companies like Speedy in their quest for lower whole life vehicle costs.”

As with all of Speedy’s fleet, the new Ford vehicles will be fitted with telematic equipment to provide comprehensive reporting of driver behaviour, in an effort to encourage improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions.

Speedy logistics director Richard Martin said:

“Our fleet is an extension of our company brand so it is important that we choose the right vehicles to meet our customers’ needs and requirements. Speedy operates through a large network of depots covering the whole of the UK and these Ford vehicles will be vital to transport assets and equipment.”

Speedy, which is based in Newton-le-Willows, close to St Helens and Wigan on Merseyside, is the largest equipment hire company in the UK and serves 10% of the UK market, through its network of 325 depots. The firm is also expanding into the Middle East and also offers a wide range of training services to its customers.

vanrental.co.uk verdict:

In my view, the new Transit Custom offers all the prestige and quality of certain highly-fashionable German manufacturers, along with a fresher, newer design than some comparable models.

Both the Transit Custom and the Ford Ranger have best-in-class five-star Euro NCAP ratings — despite their size and weight, vans and pick-ups have not scored well in safety tests, historically, and Ford is amongst the first manufacturers to start to correct that problem.

Volkswagen Puts Small Business On UK’s Biggest Billboard

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Andy Brodie and his Volkswagen Transporter van

Andy Brodie with his Volkswagen Transporter van, which is about to appear on 750 billboards around the UK!

You can’t put a price on good publicity, and small business owner Andy Brodie certainly couldn’t have paid for the exposure that Volkswagen is about to give him.

An image of Andy with his cherished Volkswagen Transporter medium van bearing the name of his firm, A.B. Flooring, is featured on the 27m x 18m ‘Mega Banner’ on the M4, Britain’s largest billboard site.

The 42-year-old from Watford, Hertfordshire, who runs his own flooring business, will also appear on 750 additional billboard sites around the country as well as radio and magazine adverts, making him almost impossible to avoid!

Andy was picked from thousands of customers to be one of just four ‘faces’ of a new advertising campaign for the Volkswagen Transporter with the slogan: ‘We never forget the most important name on our vans. Yours’. 

The campaign aims to highlight how Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is working in partnership with its customers.  The three other small businesses involved are a heating specialist, a locksmith and a telecommunications specialist and were all recommended by local Volkswagen Van Centres from across the UK.

Andy, who thinks having a smart-looking van is vital for his business’s image, said:

‘When I first heard from the ad agency I took it with a pinch of salt.  Then they told me I would be famous for the whole of the summer.  It only hit home when I turned up for the photo shoot.  It took so long to do it, I realised it was serious.’

Mark Hopkins, Head of Marketing for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said:

‘These ambitious businesses are vital to the country’s economy, so entrepreneurs like Andy are already stars in many ways.  We know it’s tough out there for many businesses and we are committed to working with our customers to support them through the range of services we offer.  We thought there was no better way to show this than to let them benefit from our advertising campaign.’

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is looking for more ambitious small businesses it can help support with free publicity through its social media channels.  Interested businesses should visit www.facebook.com/VolkswagenCommercialVehiclesUK to find out more.

If you’d like to learn more about Andy or get him to do some flooring for you (his van will look good outside your house!), then you can find him @andybrodie5 on Twitter.

Citroën Heads Off Six Competitors To Win Furmanite Fleet Renewal Deal

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One of Furmanite's new Citroen Dispatch vansFollowing a comprehensive assessment process involving six vehicle manufacturers, plant and pipeline maintenance specialist Furmanite has again chosen to renew its 100-strong LCV fleet with Citroën vans.

The deal sees the Kendal based company taking delivery of a mixture of predominantly Dispatch and Relay vans on four year, with maintenance, lease contracts through Lex Autolease. The initial orders included 28 Dispatch, 24 Relay and three Berlingo vans, which will be ply-lined by supplying dealer John Wilding of Morecambe. A further 11 Dispatch L2H1, six Relay 33 L1H1 and 35 Relay L2H2 vans are now on order.

The majority of the Dispatch vans are HDi 90 manual L1H1 1000 Enterprise models, while Furmanite has also selected Berlingo HDi 75 manual L1 625 Enterprise models, with CO2 emissions of 133g/km and 55.4mpg on the combined cycle. The order for the Relays is divided between the 35 L2H2 HDi 130 six-speed manual and the lighter and most fuel-efficient Relay, the 33 L1H1 HDi 130 six-speed manual, which has a payload of almost 1.5t and returns 38.2mpg on the combined cycle – with low CO2 emissions of just 195g/km.

Furmanite’s Director of HR, Susan Berriman, says:

“While we already run Citroën vans, we went through a rigorous re-evaluation of a wide range other manufacturer’s LCV products before we placed the order with Citroën. Our engineers are very happy with the Citroëns – we wouldn’t have considered replacing like-for-like if they weren’t.”

Analysis included factors such as reliability – a critical factor for Furmanite.

“We offer emergency services to our clients, so when we get a call, it is vital that we get engineers on site as quickly as possible,” says Ms Berriman.

In service, Furmanite vans run fully loaded, and will cover around 90,000 miles during their four year life. The company offers maintenance and repair services such as leak sealing, hot tapping and line stopping, on site machining and valve repair services to the oil, gas and power sectors. It employs more than 300 people with around a third being field-based engineers located across the UK from Aberdeen to Exeter. The engineers drive a range of Citroën Relay, Dispatch and Berlingo vans depending on the amount of equipment they need to carry for their individual expertise and work profile.

Isuzu Secures Double D-Max Fleet Deals As Business Sales Grow

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Isuzu D-Max pick-ups operated by RFT Repairs

Three of the Isuzu D-Max pick-ups delivered to RFT Repairs

Isuzu UK has just secured two significant fleet deals, underlining the increasing appeal of the Isuzu D-Max to fleet buyers across a wide range of sectors.

East Anglia-based housing association, Flagship Housing Group, signed a deal for 15 of the mid-specification Isuzu D-Max Eiger pick-ups after a competitive pitch against major rivals.

Flagship Housing Group’s fleet of pick-ups – all liveried in its signature Bottle Green colour – will be delivered by Norwich-based dealer, Dingles Isuzu, fully-fitted with load-bed liners, a hardtop canopy and rooftop ladder carrier.  The new fleet will be used to manage the maintenance of Flagship Housing Group’s 22,000 homes across the East.

Isuzu UK will also deliver a fleet of Isuzu D-Max pick-ups to civil engineering specialists, Jones Brothers.  The award-winning Welsh firm has so far ordered 15 units from the Isuzu D-Max Premium range – including Eiger, Yukon and Utah models – to service projects across the north of Wales.

William Brown, General Manager at Isuzu UK, commented:

“The expansion of our business-focused sales activities is already paying dividends. These two fleet deals say a lot about our Brand – not just because they build on our strong core of retail sales we have secured so far in 2013 – but also because they demonstrate the breadth of the D-Max’s appeal to businesses operating across diverse disciplines.”

The Isuzu D-Max has already proved to the hugely popular with UK buyers, after the Japanese-marque announced record sales during the month of March of 814 units – 16% of the UK market.  Isuzu further extended the appeal of the Isuzu D-Max pick-up with a new range of utility and style-enhancing accessories at the 2013 Commercial Vehicle Show, earlier this month. Most recently announced that its towing capacity had been upgraded from 3 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes, giving it the highest towing capacity in its class.

Corsavan Sales Leap As Businesses Cut Costs

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Vauxhall Corsavan

The Vauxhall Corsavan

In the first five months of 2013, Vauxhall has seen sales of its award-winning Corsavan increase by nearly a quarter compared to the same period in 2012.

Corsavan sales to small businesses have seen a particularly big increase, with sales up by more than 70 per cent year-on-year, cementing the popularity of this surprisingly roomy, well-equipped, economical van.

The surge in sales suggests that despite the impact of new compact van models such as the Peugeot Bipper, car-based vans still have plenty of life left in them.

Thanks to its compact dimensions and light weigh, the Corsavan’s running costs are amongst the lowest of any van, yet it retains the ability to perform well in town and on the motorway. The Corsavan’s class-leading payload of 550kg means that weight is unlikely to restrict load capacity, making it suitable for a wide range of small van jobs.

One of the COrsavan’s strong points is its fuel economy. Vauxhall’s official figures suggest that it can deliver up to 83.1mpg on the combined cycle, with CO2 emissions as low as 89g/km – lower than many of the cleanest cars on the market. Insurance costs are also below average, as all Corsavan models fall into Group 1E.

Richard Collier, National Commercial Vehicle Sales Manager, for Luton-based Vauxhall said:

“We’re delighted with the significant sales growth that Corsavan has experienced so far in 2013. Of course, with a best-in-class payload and outstanding fuel economy at a time of rising fuel costs, we’re not surprised that the award-winning Corsavan is proving so popular.”

In line with Vauxhall’s policy for most of its new models, the Corsavan is also available in ecoFLEX low emission guise. The Corsavan ecoFLEX is powered by a 1.3-litre CDTi engine and includes standard features such as Start/Stop, which help to cut fuel costs and emissions.

Streamlined Van Cuts Fuel Costs For Pasty Deliveries

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Ginsters Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

The Ginsters Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a trial streamlining package that the the firm believes may save up to 5% on fuel costs.

Delivering pasties is a weighty business, but Ginsters’ fleet supplier Hitachi Capital is determined to make sure that the firm’s fuel bill is as lean as possible.

To try and cut Ginsters’ fuel costs, Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Solutions has teamed up with bodybuilder Solomons to develop a prototype refrigerated box van for Cornwall-based bakery manufacturer Ginsters.

The vehicle’s sleek new aerodynamic box body design with a distinct wavy roofline and streamlined Thermo King cab-mounted fridge unit aims to reduce fuel consumption by up to five per cent.

Based on a Mercedes Sprinter 3.5 tonne GVW chassis the vehicle will be run for six months alongside a regular box van on identical routes in the Midlands region where its fuel consumption will be closely monitored through its on board telematics system.

The body is made of a standard three- element insulated panel design with the fridge capable of transporting both chilled and frozen goods up to -20 centigrade. A modified rear step and door configuration is also being trialled, which is aimed at improving driver safety when unloading the van.

“Our fleet of box vans carries out the very high profile role of delivering our bakery products into thousands stores across the UK on a daily basis and we are looking forward to seeing the results of the trial. Once we have the results we will then decide on whether to extend the trial,” said Andrew Gibbons, Ginsters’ fleet continuous improvements manager.

Hitachi Capital will have supplied over fifty of Ginsters’ vans on a contract hire basis by the end of 2013 on four year deal. They also manage Ginsters’ fleet maintenance provision through the Mercedes network.