Supplied by the dealer group’s Swindon branch, the new fleet – or shoal – of vans are all named after types of fish. Among the titles worn by individual vehicles are John Dory, Red Mullet, Sea Bass, and Wild Salmon.
New Wave Seafood acquired the six Sprinter 314 CDIs and five Vito 114 CDIs with funding support from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. They will be maintained by Rygor under Service Care Plans paid for on a monthly basis. Like all Mercedes-Benz vans they also benefit from free MobiloVan emergency roadside assistance and are covered by three-year, unlimited mileage warranties, although the operator has extended these to five years.
The vehicles are all powered by 140 hp versions of the same fuel-efficient 2.1-litre Euro 6 engine. The Sprinters are a combination of medium and long variants, while the Vito vans are long models. The class-leading arsenal of standard safety equipment fitted across the board includes the load-sensing Adaptive ESP stability system and Crosswind Assist, which helps to mitigate the effects of potentially dangerous sideways gusts.
New Wave Seafood account manager Marcus Cooper commented: “The finance and servicing arrangements are highly competitive in terms of cost, while fixing the amount we pay each month means we can budget with confidence, knowing there won’t be any nasty surprises further down the line.
“Our vans typically cover up to 50,000 miles per year, so the fact that the warranty has no mileage limit is very important.”
The new vehicles were insulated by Polar Truck & Van, of Westbury, Wiltshire, which also fitted their GAH refrigeration units. New Wave Seafood’s fleet of 28 vans deliver six days per week to hotels, restaurants and catering outlets, as well as making collections from Cornish fish markets and food producers. Several other brands are represented, but as these vans come up for replacement the operator intends to do so with more Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Vito models.
“The cost of the refrigerated conversion means we look for a working life of four to five years,” explained Cooper. “We want our vans to be out on the road at every available opportunity, not laid up in the workshop.