Gibbs rolls out new vans with Mercedes-Benz Agility20 January 2011

Asphalt and bitumen contractor Gibbs Surfacing says it has hit the ground running with its first clutch of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans.

All are 313CDI models, powered by low-emission 129hp Euro 5 engines, and were supplied by the Swindon-based dealer Rygor Commercials under a flexible 'Agility' contract from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.

Three of the vehicles are Medium-length Dualiner panel vans, with a second rows of seats, while the other three are Long chassis with four-door crew cabs that seat up to seven.

Wessex Vehicle Services, of Compton Chamberlayne, near Salisbury, lined and installed special shelving and washing facilities in the Dualiners' cargo areas, and fitted the chassis crew cabs with 3.2-metre dropside bodies and 500kg capacity DEL column tail-lifts.

The firm also painted all six vehicles in the operator's corporate yellow and added roof-mounted beacon bars.

Gibbs Surfacing works throughout the south-west and typically sends a gang of six men with one of each of the two types of Sprinter to a job. The Dualiners carry tools such as breakers and whacker plates, while the dropsiders are used to transport hand rollers and barrows.

"The heavy rollers are chained to the body while the vehicle is on the move and deployed using the tail-lift," explains commercial manager Martin Grounsell. "It's a lot less hassle then using trailers," he adds.

"We went through a lengthy cost comparison exercise before ordering these new vans," comments Grounsell.

"It came down to three makes of vehicle and as far as the acquisition was concerned there wasn't a great deal of price difference between them. But the Sprinter was streets ahead of the other two, in terms of quality and safety features, while its fuel and other running costs were very attractive too," he says.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd

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