Integrating Stock Wagons and Mercedes vehicles into our fleet stems from our commitment to sustainability, operational efficiency, and compliance with Environmental Emissions Standards. By replacing our oldest vehicles with modern alternatives, we aim to reduce our carbon footprint, lower maintenance costs, and ensure reliable deliveries to our valued customers.
How Will It Work?
Initially, deploying these vehicles will cover our operations in the Midlands, North, South, and Scotland branches. Our procurement plan includes acquiring three 3.5t curtain side vans and four 3.5t panel vans from Mercedes. These vehicles have been customised to meet our specific requirements, with features such as graphics, racking, dash cameras, and trackers. This customisation enhances functionality and ensures versatility in meeting diverse delivery needs. The racks have been designed to be removable, allowing the vehicles to be utilised as a normal Curtainside vehicle with stillaged glass or with the rack to hold loose load deliveries for multiple drops.
The Benefits are Multifold
The benefit is that when customers require only a small quantity of stillaged glass, we can deliver it using a 3.5t vehicle instead of a much larger HGV, wasting fuel and increasing our environmental impact.
As an additional weight-saving strategy is to have the Mercedes vans not outfitted with side racks, the existing fleet is to complete any deliveries requiring side racks. Once those vehicles are eventually retired from the fleet, vehicles will be purchased with attachments for a removable side rack.
The vehicles will replace some of the oldest vehicles in the fleet, 2015 to 2017 models, some of which are not compliant with ULEZ/Clean Air Zone regulations and have the highest mileages, which leads to substantially higher and more frequent maintenance costs and downtime.
The package provided by Mercedes has a free warranty agreement with unlimited miles for three years and includes breakdown direct from Mercedes for up to 30 years, which would be far longer than the vehicle’s life.
We are also adding a service package for all Mercedes commercial vehicles, which not only means vehicles are serviced on a regular schedule in line with manufacturer requirements but also provides us with a replacement courtesy vehicle free of charge, removing the need to hire in when Mercedes vehicles are in the garage.
Mercedes vehicles also come with capabilities to connect to the Mercedes Me software, allowing the vehicles to be monitored for service requirements, trip data such as fuel economy, and other beneficial information to ensure the Vans are kept in road-ready condition.
Beyond the Vans: Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs)
In addition to commercial vans, Fire Glass Midlands has acquired a stock handling vehicle and an HGV with internal racks and a retractable roof. This allows for Loose load deliveries with far higher volume or larger panes than a typical Van.
Looking Ahead
Introducing Stock Wagons and Mercedes commercial vehicles represents a significant milestone in our journey towards operational excellence and sustainability. We are confident that this initiative will enhance our service capabilities and position us as leaders in environmentally responsible logistics.
A considerable cost and environmental benefit as only one vehicle needs to complete these routes, rather than multiple vehicles, freeing up the smaller commercial vehicles to deliver to lower volume/smaller size customers.
It also makes transporting glass stock between branches substantially easier, meaning that short lead time work requiring additional stock is achievable without requiring glass deliveries from our external suppliers.
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