A specialist supplier to local authorities and housing associations, TSG is now running 54 Citans, as well as nine larger Vito models. All are the subject of a CharterWay contract hire agreement from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services under which they will each cover 20,000 miles a year.
The new vans have been allocated to TSG service engineers who work throughout the South and South-East. They will be maintained by Rygor, Britain’s biggest Mercedes-Benz Dealer, at the operator’s headquarters in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, as well as at other locations.
The Citan is the smallest van in the Mercedes-Benz range, achieving up to 65.7mpg and producing CO2 emissions as low as 112g/km.
TSG’s Citans are all long-bodied 109 CDIs with 90hp diesel engines and optional Bluetooth telephony. Rygor fitted their Rhino roof racks and co-ordinated the application of TSG's livery by TLC Signs of Feltham.
Commenting on the delivery of the new vehicles, TSG’s managing director, Ben Thrussell, said: ‘This is our first experience of operating Mercedes-Benz vehicles and Rygor have been extremely efficient in handling our enquiry and subsequent order.
‘We required delivery of 20 vehicles within just a couple of weeks, as we had won two new contracts and needed our engineers on site with their vehicles as a matter of urgency.
‘We also wanted to ensure that our fleet changes were carried out before the onset of winter and the colder weather, to avoid downtime during our busiest period. Rygor delivered the vans efficiently and effectively to a weekly schedule, causing the minimum stress to our drivers and interruption to our operation.’
TSG operates 120 vans in total – while roughly half of its new Mercedes-Benz vehicles have replaced older vehicles, the rest represent extensions to its fleet.
‘We chose the Mercedes-Benz Citan for its driver safety, comfort and fuel economy, and for the competitive finance package that the manufacturer was able to offer,’ Thrussell continued.
‘We were also keen to buy into the Mercedes-Benz brand and image, as its reputation for reliability and high service levels can only reflect well on our own business.'