Construction dealer Holt JCB has equipped its aftersales team with a fleet of more than 30 new Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, benefiting from both enhanced payload and aftersales services compared to its previous vehicles.
The family-owned business operates from a network of six depots throughout the south west and South Wales and has deployed a fleet of H1 L1 Sprinter 314 CDIs under a contract hire agreement with Days Fleet.
Assigned to Holt JCB’s field service engineers, field service technicians and master technicians, the front-wheel drive Sprinters have an additional 100kg of payload allowance compared to the vehicles they have replaced, and have been kitted out as mobile workshops, complete with secure storage for tooling and spare parts, workbenches and washing facilities. They also come equipped as standard with Mercedes Pro connect fleet management technology.
General manager – aftermarket Mark Sydenham said: “We specialise in heavy plant machinery, so a lot of the parts we carry are heavy too. The 100kg of payload we’ve gained by switching to Mercedes-Benz is therefore proving very useful.
“Front-line colleagues also appreciate the relatively square, practical dimensions of the Sprinter’s cargo area. Our previous service vans had a mid-height ‘waistline’ which meant that the walk-through area between the racking was quite narrow. That ‘alley’ is significantly wider in the new vans, and as a result they’re easier to move about and work in.”
A key consideration was also the support provided by Mercedes-Benz. All vehicles supplied through the manufacturer’s official retail network come with three-year, unlimited mileage warranties and MobiloVan cover, which includes free round-the-clock emergency roadside assistance, 365 days a year.
“The aftersales back-up on our previous vans fell frustratingly short of what we expect. If our vehicles aren’t available for work we can’t do our jobs, so this caused us some major headaches. I’m very optimistic that by moving to Mercedes-Benz we’ve now put all of that behind us.”
