The company’s latest three Sprinter 313 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY vans arrived via local Dealer Sparshatts of Kent, and are the subject of a CharterWay contract hire agreement from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.
They have taken their places in a fleet of 30 vans, which is dominated by vehicles from the previous Sprinter range.
Crosswater relies on its Long-bodied Sprinters to make next-day deliveries to customers placing their orders before 5.30 pm – its computerised routing system nightly processes up to 1,000 ”drops”.
Fuel efficiency in the new Sprinter is improved by 7% over the outgoing model, with BlueEFFICIENCY variants – which incorporate a raft of additional measures designed to further reduce diesel consumption – up by a further 6%, to as much as 44.4 mpg.
The vehicle’s safety features, meanwhile, include Crosswind Assist system, which detects sudden strong gusts of wind and helps to prevent the van drifting out of its lane by applying individual brakes on one side of the vehicle. The host of electronic aids additionally available as options includes Collision Prevention Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Highbeam Assist and Lane Keeping Assist.
Crosswater Logistics Director Wayne Lobley said: ‘We’ve been running Mercedes-Benz Sprinters for some years now, and they’ve always been outstandingly reliable and cost-effective to operate, as well as popular with our drivers.
‘As well as raising the bar in terms of safety, our latest Sprinters will also help us to achieve our fuel saving targets. All our vehicles are fitted with speed limiters set at 70 mph, while we also equip them with tracking systems which highlight incidents of erratic driving and harsh braking, and operate a bonus scheme that rewards the best drivers,’ he added.