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Expanding plumbing and construction industry supplies group Wolseley is rebuilding its fleet with a new breed of Mercedes Sprinters.
More than 50 new Luton-bodied Sprinter 311CDI chassis cabs have been delivered since September, and Sheffield dealer Northside Truck and Van is currently processing orders for another 24, with yet more in the pipeline.
The 3.5-tonne Sprinters mark a move away from the 7.5-tonne trucks that have traditionally formed the backbone of the Wolseley Centers fleet, and have brought a range of significant benefits.
National Fleet Manager Roy McCrudden explains: “As the company has expanded, and we’ve opened more sites, so the distances between them have become smaller. That means our delivery vehicles are covering shorter distances, and can return to base more often.
“Thus, unlike many applications, where larger vehicles staying out longer bring an increase in efficiency, for us the reverse is true.”
He continues: “Our Sprinters are more manoeuvrable and easier to drive around city centres and residential streets. And using 3.5-tonners means less paperwork, while also allowing us to recruit from a much bigger pool of drivers. We’ll still need some larger vehicles, of course, but over the next 12-18 months we’ll be replacing an awful lot of our 7.5-tonners with new Mercedes Sprinters.”
Wolseley Centers’ outlets include plumbers’ and builders’ merchants as well as more specialised sites under brands including Plumb Center, Builder Center, Drain Center and Hire Center. The group also includes timber merchants and the Bathstore.com bathroom equipment retailer.
“We’ve been running Sprinters on our Bathstore fleet for some time, and have been highly impressed with their performance,” says Mr McCrudden.
“They are robust and reliable, while the cabs of the latest model are very comfortable and driver-friendly. We know that they will deliver the goods for us, time and time again.”
All of the new Sprinters wear a new, generic Wolseley Centers livery, as part of a drive to raise the profile of the group rather than just its individual divisions.
Among the first sites to take delivery of one of the new arrivals was the combined Plumb Center and Drain Center outlet in central Sheffield.
Branch Manager Bob Lawford says: “The vast majority of our deliveries are within the city, so our vehicles are rarely far from home. The Sprinter is a more flexible option than a 7.5-tonner and better suited to the job.”
Driver Phil Broadhead has certainly taken a shine to his new van. “I’ve driven Sprinters before but this is the first time I’ve tried the new model and it’s even better than before,” he enthuses. “The people who designed the cab have clearly listened very carefully to what drivers want, and provided masses of well-organised storage space and a driver’s seat that’s absolutely brilliant!”
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