Deepstore is part of the Compass Minerals Group – so named because its main archival storage facility is a salt mine, 150 metres beneath the ground in Cheshire. The company also operates two active storage facilities, both of which are above ground, in Bromley-by-Bow, East London, and Wallington, Surrey. It is from these locations that the new Sprinters operate.
Supplied by dealer SG Smith, of Sydenham, South London, all are Long-bodied 313 CDI models. Their 129 hp engines are mated to six-speed ECO Gear manual transmissions, designed specifically for vans to improve flexibility and maximise economy.
The vans are leased as part of a contract-hire agreement with LeasePlan, and will be maintained by the workshop team at SG Smith’s Croydon depot.
Chris Gamble, UK logistics manager for Deepstore, commented: ‘Our new vans replace a previous batch of Sprinters that were nearly eight years old but had proved exceptionally reliable. They were a great testament to the Mercedes-Benz brand.
‘It’s crucial that our uniformed drivers should feel safe and confident in their vans so we listened carefully to the feedback we’d had from Bow and Wallington before deciding to go with the Sprinter again.
‘They’re certainly big fans of Mercedes-Benz and take great pride in their vehicles. That’s important because given that they spend most of their time working in the centre of London, if they weren’t treated with the utmost care these vans could easily suffer a lot of damage.'