The business, which is based in Newton Abbot, Devon, purchased its new pair of Sprinter 313 CDIs from Exeter Dealer City West Commercials, with funding support from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.
The new model claims fuel efficiency improvements of 7% over the outgoing Sprinter, and boasts a host of new features including Crosswind Assist, 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.
‘We like to name all of our vehicles,’ explained QMS operations director, Greg Clark. ‘And given that we asked customers and colleagues to offer suggestions for a pair of sisters, I suppose the result was inevitable – the Duchess of Cambridge and Pippa Middleton won by a landslide.’
Founded in 2001, the family-run firm also operates seven rigid trucks of various sizes, three of which wear Mercedes-Benz stars. It has a smaller Vito van on order too.
The Medium-length, high-roofed Sprinters arrived in Highway Yellow – local specialist A-Signs then applied their liveries.
The Sprinters carry equipment and materials, and are generally used by two-man teams who apply internal markings, for example in walkways, supermarket aisles, warehouses and workshops.
Commenting on the new additions to the fleet, Clark said: ‘The first vehicle we bought was a second-hand Sprinter and we’ve been running Mercedes-Benz vehicles ever since, as they’ve always been very reliable and cost-effective to operate. One of the new vans replaced a Sprinter that had been a very good workhorse for seven years.
‘I’m told by those who use them that our latest vans are very comfortable, while as an employer that’s always aware of its Duty of Care obligations to staff it’s reassuring to know they also lead the field in terms of safety,’ he added.