The new vehicles are being introduced as part of a fleet replacement programme, with an initial 119 vehicles joining the company ranks between June and September 2014 and a further 126 vehicles due between September and December 2014.
The vehicles will be used by the housing association’s property maintenance teams, which consist of a full mix of trades including builders, plumbers, electricians and ground staff. Each vehicle supplied has been carefully selected for the business area it will be operating in, with many featuring bespoke specifications to make life on board more efficient for drivers.
The housing association has ordered a full mix of vehicles that includes: Caddy and Caddy Maxi vans, SWB and LWB Transporter panel vans, Crafter panel vans in a variety of wheelbases; as well as “Engineered-to-Go” Crafter Dropsides and Crafter specialist Dropside conversions.
Commenting on the partnership., Rick Young, fleet manager at WDH, said: ‘The flexibility of the Volkswagen model range has allowed us to customise the vehicles to meet our exact needs. Working closely with the fleet team at Volkswagen has meant that we have been able to identify the exact models we required along with the specific extras each vehicle needed. The whole process is running smoothly and the first batch of vehicles is eagerly awaited by all at WDH.’
Alastair Hemmings, national fleet manager, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK, added: ‘WDH’s decision to work with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles to fulfil its vehicle replacement programme has allowed us to demonstrate the flexibility of our entire range. The combination of our broad model range and our dedicated fleet support team has helped us to deliver a fleet solution that meets the needs of WDH now and into the future.’