Supplied by dealer S&B Commercials, the new additions are 314 CDI L3 (long) chassis cabs, with bodies by Piggott Coachworks, of Bishop’s Stortford, and 500kg Dhollandia tail-lifts.
They are part of a nine-strong order for the new-generation Sprinters and join 16 other Euro 6 Sprinters ordered in the past year.
The three dropsiders will be based at each of Broughton’s facilities – its base in Romford, along with its Bristol and Alfreton depots.
Broughton’s fleet is mostly Sprinters; it also has three Vito vans, an 18-tonne Antos with beavertail plant body, and a pair of 7.5-tonne Fuso Canters.
“We cannot afford unplanned downtime, as we make next-day delivery commitments to our customers. First and foremost, therefore, we need workhorses that won’t let us down, and that’s what we get from Mercedes-Benz,” says Joe Zammit, Broughton’s general manager.
Safety is also crucial to the FORS Silver-accredited operator, so all of its vans are equipped with recordable front- and rear-facing cameras.
New features on the latest generation Sprinter include the Active Brake Assist system with pedestrian recognition technology, and Attention Assist, which detects drowsiness in drivers and encourages them to take breaks when tired.
“The previous Sprinter was good, but the latest model represents a huge leap forward,” says Zammit.
He also praises the dealer’s service, and says S&B’s mobile technician John Beard is regarded as a member of the team.
“He’s very flexible, and is always at our site on Saturday mornings and in the evenings, carrying out routine and preventative maintenance.
“Over and above the scheduled services, he also undertakes full inspections of every vehicle on a quarterly basis, so we know they are always road-ready and performing at the optimum level.”