Category Archives: Vans In Business

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

Gilgen Door Systems van racking

Sliding doors open for Volkswagen fleet deal

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Door fitting specialist Gilgen Door Systems has purchased 24 new Volkswagen vans as part of a fleet renewal programme which will eventually see VW supply the firm’s entire fleet.

Gilgen Door Systems Volkswagen vans

Gilgen’s latest order was for 20 new Transporter vans and four Crafter panel vans. These follow on from an order last year for four Crafters and 10 Transporters. The new Transporters are T32 Startline LWB 2.0 TDI BMT models, while the Crafters are CR35 LWB 2.0 TDI BMT panel van models.

The vans have been fitted out with specialist racking and full Gilgen livery. They will be used by the firm’s service engineers to carry replacement parts and perform servicing and maintenance on customer sites.

Gilgen Door Systems van racking

Gilgen’s new VW vans are fitted with specialist racking to hold tools and spare parts. Pictured: Volkswagen Transporter

Roger Massey, Marketing Manager at Gilgen Door Systems UK Ltd, commented:

“Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has worked closely with us to develop a package that suits our exact business needs. As a business, we were able to specify our fleet requirements with the sales team and they helped to source the racking for vehicles through their accredited converters. This meant that the vans were ready to go as soon as they were delivered.”

Gilgen Door Systems is a leading global manufacturer of automatic doors, industrial doors and sliding walls, with more than 50 years’ experience in this sector.

Purple Parking fleet with Vredestein tyres

New Vredestein Comtract tyres gain fleet foothold with Purple purchase

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Dutch tyre firm Vredestein has scored an early goal in its campaign to gain a bigger share of the UK fleet sector.

Purple Parking fleet with Vredestein tyres

Purple Parking will now use Vredestein Comtrac and Comtrac 2 All Season tyres on its minibus fleet.

The group’s Comtrac and Comtrac 2 All Season van tyres have been chosen by major airport parking operator Purple Parking for its fleet of minibuses. These are used to ferry passengers between the group’s airports and long-stay car parks, so receive heavy use throughout the year.

Vredestein’s 185/75/16 Comtrac and new 235/65/16 Comtrac 2 All Season tyres were fitted to Purple Parking’s fleet of minibuses in a series of tests carried out by tyre supplier Tomato Tyres, which maintains the fleet. According to the firm, Tomato’s tests showed that Vredestein Comtrac LV tyres were lasting at least twice as long as the existing brands used on the fleet and, in some cases, by up to four times as much.

“We were obviously keen to select the best tyre package for our fleet,” said Purple Parking Operations Manager Steven Rowlerson. “In our business, downtime due to problems with our vehicles is something to avoid at all costs; fitting premium quality tyres actually results in cost savings and increased safety, whilst Vredestein’s warranty provides even extra peace of mind.”

The deal has also been extended to allow Purple Parking staff to enjoy preferential terms when buying tyres for their own cars. Vredestein Fleet and Lease Manager Ricky Mitchell expects the parking group’s new purchasing policy to provide “substantial annual financial savings for Purple Parking”.

Vauxhall Vivaro on Tour

Vauxhall rocks independent venues with Vivaro on Tour

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It’s made in Britain and so are the bands who are on tour — Vauxhall’s sponsorship of Independent Venue Week has continued in 2017. The Luton-based firm has once again offered a British-built Vivaro van to a number of up-and-coming bands for for them to use while on tour.

Vauxhall Vivaro on Tour

The Vauxhall Vivaro on Tour van

The Vivaro on Tour initiative aims to support rising UK musicians with the use of a Vivaro for free. This invaluable opportunity enables musicians to save a sizeable sum on expenditures, with an estimated £30,000 being saved so far.

This year’s lucky recipients include The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess’s band Tim Peaks, along with rising bands Yucatan, Horsebeach and Documenta. Since the Vivaro on Tour scheme was launched in 2015, the marque has lent a hand to bands such as  Slaves, Yak, Lif, Dutch Uncles, Frankie and the Heartstrings and Sunset Sons.

Collectively the Vivaro On Tour campaign has travelled over 100,000 miles to areas in Britain such as Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol, Brighton and London while also hitting the pedal in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands.

English punk duo Slaves, who took embarked on tour in a Vauxhall Vivaro in 2016 said:

“As a band we’ve been touring for years, it’s what made us the band we are and it’s what we love. This country has such a great live music scene and being able to get out on the road to meet your fans is essential for all bands. Being loaned the Vivaro from Vauxhall was a huge help for us on our last UK tour. Even more so, them also loaning one to our support act Life was a huge help for a brilliant new band, and it’s great to see a British built van investing in UK bands like us to get our music out there to more people”

Independent Venue Week is a week-long celebration of small music venues across the UK, and for its fourth consecutive year, the series of gigs will take place between Monday 23 – Sunday 29 January, 2017. As Independent Venue Week’s most prominent celebration to date, over 120 venues around the country will be taking part, and a remarkable 30 NEW additions are on this year’s roster of venues.

A variety of Independent Venue Week shows are to revealed throughout the year, with some of the participating bands also on the road with Vauxhall’s Vivaro van. Vauxhall will be getting on-board with each band, following their journeys to provide exclusive backstage access, capturing on-tour shenanigans and offering tickets to gigs across Britain.

If you’re a band that’s in need of a van to take on tour in 2016, the Luton-built Vivaro is up for grabs. Go to www.vauxhall.co.uk/VivaroOnTour or contact kate.oyler@vauxhall.co.uk for further information.

SCAS Charity VW Caddy first responder

Milton Keynes VW centre donates Caddy van to ambulance charity

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A Milton Keynes Volkswagen dealer has donated a brand new Caddy van to the South Central Ambulance Charity.

The converted Volkswagen Caddy van was supplied by the Brian Currie Volkswagen Van Centre and will be used by the charity’s team of volunteers to deliver lifesaving first response care to residents of Newport Pagnell and the surrounding area.

SCAS Charity VW Caddy first responder

The Community First Response team consists of trained volunteers who support the local ambulance service by providing life-saving first aid treatment before an ambulance arrives.

Developed to respond to local residents in need of immediate medical assistance, the van is equipped to help people suffering from a cardiac arrest, stroke, breathing difficulties and diabetic or asthmatic attacks. The new vehicle plays a vital role in the community, responding on average to approximately 100 incidents every month.

The donated Caddy has been specially equipped with everything needed to deliver the very best care in case of emergency, including oxygen, defibrillator and general medical supplies. Before it was handed over, it was fully racked out to help safely carry the specialist medical equipment, fitted with a light beacon and sign written with graphics.

Brian Currie, Company Chairman of Brian Currie Van Centre, said:

‘The Community First Response team in Newport Pagnell plays a significant role within the town and is responsible for saving the life of numerous local residents. As a local business, we are very grateful for the work that the volunteers do and very happy that we can help keep this charity going through the donation of one of our vans.

Brian Currie Van Centre will support the charity over the next two years providing ongoing maintenance and servicing on the Caddy as well as paying for the vehicle’s road tax.

RAC Truck Rescue Patrol

RAC launches truck rescue patrol for vans and lorries

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Did you know that the RAC attends callouts to more than 100,000 trucks and 300,000 vans every year?

We tend to think of the RAC as a car breakdown service, but in fact it caters to most types of vehicle and also services commercial fleets. To bring more focus to this service and provide improved cover for goods vehicles, the RAC is starting to roll out a dedicated Truck Rescue Patrol service.

RAC Truck Rescue Patrol

The roadside rescue vehicle will be equipped to deal with specific issues faced by drivers of any commercial vehicles from 3.5t vans to 44t HGVs. These dedicated patrols will operate in addition to the RAC’s network of contractors servicing commercial vehicles. As well as being fully roadside operational, the patrols will also carry items such as compressors, welding equipment and the latest diagnostics tools to support commercial vehicle drivers.

RAC Truck Rescue spokesman Matt Dallaway said the dedicated patrols can offer a more in-depth service to CV fleets, without the need for a costly and a time-consuming full recovery, taking the vehicle off the road.

“We deal with around 100,000 commercial vehicle breakdowns every year, including vans, trucks and trailers, so we know what the most common problems are and a high proportion are fixes that we can do at the roadside.

“We have launched this as a pilot, in expectation of rolling it out in 2017 more widely, as it will mean a significant extension of our capability for commercial vehicle repairs, offering a more in-depth service from a highly trained engineer dedicated to this sector.”

The new RAC Truck Rescue patrol will not only be able to deal with many of the breakdown issues commercial fleets face, but also help vehicles be compliant with as the van will carry numerous parts essential to meeting national standards required by all commercial vehicles.

For example about 34% of electrical faults that caused a preventable breakdown for one of RAC’s biggest commercial customers, were bulb-related.

The RAC Truck Rescue pilot patrol was launched week beginning December 5, and is expected to be expanded across the country during 2017.

JCDecaux Renault Master

Renault Master helps keep billboards posted across the UK

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Outdoor advertising specialist JCDecaux has ordered “a significant volume” of Renault Master and Trafic panel vans for its maintenance fleet.

The vans will be used by technicians charged with maintaining and updating JCDecaux’s inventory of bus-stop advertising systems, billboards and street furniture.

JCDecaux Renault Master

All the new vans have been ordered with Renault’s Twin Turbo ENERGY diesel engines, which offer superior performance and efficiency by using two turbo chargers, Stop&Start engine management and the new regenerative braking system (Energy Smart Management).

The benefit of two turbos is that they can be sized so that one provides additional power at low revs, while the second is designed to work at higher engine revs.

The Trafics have Renault’s 1.6-litre ENERGY dCi 125 engine, while all the Masters feature the 2.3-litre ENERGY dCi 145 engine. Both are matched to six-speed manual transmissions and provide drive to the front wheels. All the new vans will be Euro 6 models.

To enhance both comfort and safety, all the new vans have been specified in Renault’s Business trim level. This includes a DAB radio with Bluetooth, electric front windows, remote central locking, electric and heated door mirrors, trip computer, all-round disc brakes and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

The ESC fitted to these vans includes Hill Start Assist and Grip Xtend, an electronic traction control system which acts on the vehicle’s driven wheels to optimise traction on loose surfaces.

Inside JCDecaux Renault Master

Inside, the vans have been kitted out by converter TEVO with a range of accessories depending on planned use. Among the pieces of kit installed are water tanks, onboard power, internal glass racks and roof racks.

I always find it interesting to see how fleet operators specify their vehicles. You can see how different companies choose to balance competing and sometimes contradictory requirements, such as:

  • Operational requirements
  • Upfront cost
  • Resale value
  • Employee preference/comfort
  • Environmental considerations
  • Running costs – fuel and maintenance
  • Image
  • Duty of care obligations to employees and other third parties

In this case, JCDecaux appears to have decided that specifying the vans generously and choosing from the latest engine options is worth the modest increase in upfront cost. I suspect they are right.

In four years’ time, these modern and well-specified models are likely to be more popular with used buyers than entry level vans powered by relatively dated engines. A good interior trim level will also helps attract used buyers, many of whom will be owner-drivers or small businesses with only a handful of employees.

Volkswagen mobile servicing

Volkswagen launches mobile service centre vans

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Volkswagen has launched three new Mobile Service Clinic vans to offer commercial vehicle customers the choice of on-site maintenance and repair work.

Volkswagen Mobile Service Clinic van

One of the first three Volkswagen Mobile Service Clinic vans to be deployed in the UK.

The Mobile Service vans have been designed specifically for the needs of fleet customers and will be capable of delivering service work, inspections, A/C servicing, MOT repairs, minor warranty work and software updates remotely at the fleet base location.

Commercial vehicle operators are under pressure from their own customers to minimise downtime and hit demanding service level agreements. Being able to get servicing and repairs done at base, rather than at a dealer, as the potential to save significant amounts of time.

Each of the Mobile Service Clinic Crafter vans has been equipped by specialist conversion company, Surrey-based Winton Engineering. An array of on-board tools including compressed air jacks and even a hand wash basin lets technicians carry out a wide range of work.

Volkswagen mobile servicing

Ten more Mobile Service Clinic vans are expected to join the network by summer 2017, with nationwide coverage planned towards the end of next year.

David Bodily, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Service Development Manager, said:

“I’m delighted with the Mobile Service Clinic vans; they look fantastic and will provide a great alternative for fleet customers.

“We’ve found the main concern for fleet customers is downtime and how long their vehicles are off the road. The Mobile Service Clinic van is a convenient alternative for these businesses and demonstrates how we are dedicated to fulfilling our ‘Working with You’ promise to customers.

Volkswagen’s first three Mobile Service Clinic vans will operate from bases at Cordwallis VW dealerships in Maidenhead, Heathrow and Oxford.

City Harvest Vauxhall Vivaro

Vivaro van donation helps City Harvest collect unwanted food

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London-based food charity City Harvest collects surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, and distributes it to homeless and vulnerable people.

The group has received a donation of two refrigerated Vauxhall Vivaro vans from dealer groups Now, Tony Le Voi, and GO Vauxhall which will enable City Harvest to extend its work. Currently City Harvest delivers six tonnes of food to more than 100 charities, such as homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Other supporters of the charity include Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Charlie Bigham’s, Nandos and Whole Foods.

City Harvest Vauxhall Vivaro

The two Luton-built Vivaro 1.6-litre CDTi L2H1 panel vans, with temperature-controlled conversions by Cold Consortium, were handed over on Friday at the Vineyard community centre in Richmond, one of the locations to benefit from the service. The vans were liveried free of charge by Kent firm Motormode.

Laura Winningham, CEO of City Harvest, says the vans will make a big difference to some of the most vulnerable people in the capital:

“The generous donations from Now, Tony Le Voi and GO will make an enormous difference to those facing hunger across London.”

These Vauxhall vans will enable City Harvest to deliver thousands of nutritious meals each week to people in need and rescue tonnes of perfectly good food from being wasted.  We look forward to this partnership and working together in the community to make a daily impact.”

The level of food waste in the catering and supermarket sector is rightly seen as a scandal. It’s good to know that businesses are coming together to help charities such as City Harvest reduce this waste and put it to good use.

Out There Volkswagen Crafter vans

Volkswagen Crafter gets Out There in Northern Ireland

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Northern Ireland’s largest grounds maintenance and landscaping contractor, Out There, has taken delivery of its first batch of 13 Volkswagen Crafter vans. The delivery is part of an ongoing refresh of its 70-strong fleet.

Out There Volkswagen Crafter vans

Out There’s new Volkswagen Crafter vans

The vans will be used by the Out There staff to cover various grounds maintenance and landscape contracts all across Northern Ireland and soon in London, where they have secured their first mainland UK contract.

The purpose built vehicles have been modified to ensure that each is able to carry the firm’s plant equipment.  All panel vans have been fully ply-lined, feature bulkhead protection and are fitted with a heavy duty towbar. In addition, a number of the vehicles have been converted to accommodate further crew members with a second row of seats installed and glazed side windows fitted.

Steven Thompson, Managing Director at Out There said:

“This is an exciting time for everyone at Out There and it’s great to finally unveil the new brand and fleet to everyone. We have around 70 new vehicles that are going to be renewed over the next 18 months, and we are pleased to have partnered up with Donnelly Commercial Vehicles for this first phase.

Out There’s fleet also includes a number of Volkswagen Caddy vans, as well as flatbed and tipper variants of the Crafter.

Lyreco Renault Master

Office supplies firm gives new Master stamp of approval

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Office supply firm Lyreco has updated its UK fleet with 172 new Renault Master vans. The marque replaces another brand in the fleet, and will be used to deliver items from Lyreco’s 10,000+ catalogue of office and workplace supplies.

Lyreco Renault Master

One of Lyreco’s new Renault Master vans

Lyreco is a long-standing partner of Renault. These new vans were chosen after Lyreco engaged ERA Fleet Cost Management to conduct a tender including other manufacturers and suppliers. The Renault Masters replace vehicles from another brand and won the tender based on their whole life costs, impressive payload and the reliability of the other Renault vehicles that Lyreco operates.

Nick Dacey, Logistics Director, Lyreco, emphasised that the Masters were chosen under competitive circumstances:

“Although we have a long relationship with Renault, we still like to re-evaluate our fleet on a regular basis and, once again, the Renault Master has proved to be ahead of its rivals and the ideal fit for our requirements.”

With a maximum payload of 1,530kg from the factory, Lyreco’s Renault Masters have been supplied in (LM35) Long wheelbase, medium roof specification. All feature the French firm’s 135hp 2.3-litre turbodiesel engine and are specified with front-wheel drive, maximising load space and payload and providing a driver-friendly low floor for easy loading and unloading.

All of Lyreco’s new Masters have been specified in Business trim, which includes standard features as a DAB radio with Bluetooth, electric front windows, remote central locking, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with HSA (Hill Start Assist) and Grip Xtend; an advanced electronic traction control system which acts on the vehicle’s driven wheels to optimise traction on loose surfaces.