RVS managing director Spencer Law has dubbed the new venture RediTruck and says it is going well with waste industry users who want to buy vehicles from stock rather than wait for OEM lead times.
So far RVS has ordered seven Antos 2527L chassis from City West, all of which are being fitted with Dennis Eagle compactor bodies – and the first five have already been taken.
Cam & Dursley, near Stroud-based RVS has a seven-bay workshop and two-storey parts department, and the RediTruck service is an addition to its existing used RCV refurbishment and modification business.
“Many waste management companies run used and remanufactured refuse trucks supplied by RVS alongside others which they purchased from new,” comments Law.
“The problem with buying new, though, is that you can wait up to nine months for it to be delivered,” he continues.
“For operators who often have to start work on a recently-won contract at relatively short notice, the only alternative is to hire a vehicle to tide them over. But given typical costs of £800-£1,000 a week this can be very expensive.”
Hence RediTruck, he says, asserting that its new Mercedes-Benz vehicles are built to a “good, fit-for-purpose specification”, including with on-board axle weight measuring systems and trade bin lifts.
“We’ve been buying Mercedes-Benz chassis since 2005,” continues Law. “The manufacturer has really raised its game over the last 10 years in terms of after sales support, while its product range is very strong too.”
Three of the first five RediTruck Antos-based RCVs are now in service with Exeter-based Devon Contract Waste, and a fourth is due for delivery before the end of February.
“If we take on a new customer or a vehicle starts costing too much to repair we may need to refresh it quickly,” confirms Devon Contract Waste managing director Simon Almond.
“New trucks already built to a commercial specification are very hard to find, so RediTruck has great appeal to an operator like us,” he continues.
“In fact, most would pay a premium to get such a vehicle quickly... In our case, though, we’ve actually save money by going with RVS, not least because our new Mercedes-Benz vehicles are proving very fuel-efficient.
“The Antos [trucks] are returning 9.2 mpg, which puts them a good two miles per gallon ahead of our Swedish-built 26-tonners.”