Fuel-efficient Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is fit for Starplan 02 October 2012

Six unusually high box-bodied Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans are now working out of Starplan Bedrooms' depots in Warrington and Wednesbury, West Midlands, delivering beds and bedroom furniture.

Starplan purchased its first Mercedes-Benz vehicles after deciding to switch from 7.5-tonne trucks to 3.5-tonne chassis cabs with box bodies for home delivery work.

"There are obvious advantages to running 3.5-tonners – they're cheaper to buy and to run, easier to manoeuvre around residential streets and don't require an operator's licence," explains transport manager Steve Whittle.

"But our vehicle bodies must also be tall enough to carry our standard 2,220mm-long bed frames vertically – which is unusual in this weight class – as well as providing enough payload capacity to allow us to make multiple deliveries in one journey," he adds.

Starplan worked with Ciceley Commercials and Alloy Bodies, of Manchester, to come up with a lightweight, high-sided body design. The result is a vehicle which, with a driver and full tank of fuel, offers an 1,100kg payload and an interior height of more than 2.3 metres.

Meanwhile, the 129bhp Sprinter 313CDI's fuel-saving credentials – the latest model is 15% more frugal than its predecessor, while CO2 emissions are down by 13% – are further enhanced by Alloy Bodies' aerodynamic pod.

"Mercedes-Benz is a premium brand and our new Sprinters are clearly finished to a very exacting standard, so we have every confidence they'll provide the absolute reliability that we demand," comments Whittle.

And he adds: "The Sprinters were competitively priced and the service from Ciceley throughout the specification and purchase process has been excellent. The dealer's ability to provide out of hours servicing is sure to come in very useful too."

Author
Brian Tinham

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