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Twelve years after buying its first Sprinter, light haulier Gilbert’s of Wakefield has returned for its first vehicle from the new-generation Mercedes van range.
A specialist distributor of steel and timber nationwide, Gilbert’s operates six vehicles, every one a Mercedes. The latest is a Long-bodied 3.5-tonne Sprinter 311CDI chassis cab.
It arrived, like its predecessors, via the Sheffield branch of Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle Dealer of the Year Northside Truck and Van, and has a platform body designed and built by Gilbert’s to carry steel and castings.
Founded in 1993, the company is run by Managing Director Jeff Gilbert, who is supported by his wife Joanne and brother Craig.
Gilbert’s has now bought Sprinters from each of the model’s three incarnations. It previously used cheaper vans supplied by a rival manufacturer but quickly realised that Mercedes vehicles represented better value for money, thanks to their low ‘whole life’ operating costs.
Director Joanne Gilbert says: “Most of our deliveries are made to building sites so there are invariably workmen waiting for the materials we carry. This means we have to arrive ‘on time, every time’, and cannot afford any breakdowns. Experience has proved that we can rely on our Sprinters.
“In the long term they work out far less expensive than other makes of vehicle and due to their overall excellent performance, ‘downtime’ is minimal. One of our Mercedes clocked-up 700,000 miles before we eventually replaced it.”
She continues: “Our drivers particularly like the new Sprinter’s comfortable, well-appointed cab, which is a major benefit on long journeys. And as employers conscious of our Duty of Care responsibilities to staff, we are also impressed with its exceptionally high standard safety specification.”
The new-generation Mercedes Sprinter was launched last summer. Combining dynamic good looks, ‘bullet-proof’ build quality, comprehensive specification and ingenious technology, the range cost £1.25 billion (1.8 billion euro) and took a team of 400 design engineers five years to develop. The result is a triumph, a vehicle that sets new standards in terms of productivity, refinement and safety.
Highlights of the range include best-in-class side-loading door widths, outstanding ergonomics and comfort, a powerful and clean CDI diesel engine line-up topped by a storming 184hp 3.0-litre V6, and an advanced new version of the remarkable ESP® anti-skid system called Adaptive ESP®. |
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