Tuffnells has the full package with Mercedes Sprinters31 December 2014

Next-day delivery business Tuffnells Parcels Express has ordered its first Mercedes-Benz vans – 22 Sprinters – after trialling several demonstration vehicles at three of its depots.

Supplied by dealer Enza, the 3.5-tonne Sprinter 313 CDIs are all extra-long bodied units, with 129bhp engines driving through 7G-Tronic automatic transmissions.

The high-roof, extra-long bodied vans offer a 4.8m-long cargo area, but Tuffnells has specified them without front passenger seats to enable it to transport longer products, such as the 6m-long blinds it delivers for one of its largest customers.

Most of Tuffnells' 900-strong fleet is trucks, but it also operates 100 vans to deliver consignments from depots to final destinations.

"We conducted a lengthy evaluation process which entailed trialling various demonstration models in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Scotland," says national fleet manager Andrew Morton.

"The contract hire package was competitively priced and we had some very positive feedback from those drivers who tried the demonstrators – they liked the Sprinter's performance and handling, while more than one reported the experience as being more like driving a car than a van."

The Sprinters are supplied on CharterWay contract hire through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Each vehicle is expected to cover 50,000 miles a year.

Tuffnells is celebrating 100 years in business and, following its acquisition in November by Connect Group, is planning to expand with six new depots over the next two years.

Author
Laura Cork

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