Parcelforce purchases 1,000 green vans
A new fleet of more than 1,000 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters is helping Parcelforce Worldwide to turn its familiar red vans green. Parcelforce Worldwide, the Royal Mail Group’s UK and international express delivery division, has taken delivery of 1,106 Sprinter vans, all fitted with innovative ECO-Start technology that saves fuel and so reduces exhaust emissions.
Parcelforce Worldwide managing director David Smith said: “We take our environmental and community responsibilities very seriously. We have a comprehensive programme of activities to reduce our impact on the environment and to invest in third-party environmental initiatives.”
Parcelforce Worldwide testers put vehicles through an exhaustive trial process, as a result of which Mercedes-Benz was able to fine-tune the specification of the vehicles to meet its customer’s precise requirements.
Meanwhile the manufacturer’s top van man also spent a day on the road with a delivery driver to gain a real feel for the demands of the job. Van sales & marketing director Steve Bridge joined driver Andrew Johnson – a member of the test team – as he delivered parcels from the company’s Nottingham depot.
Parcelforce Worldwide operations director Adele Henderson said: “We were really delighted that Steve wanted to spend a day with our driver Andrew. The great thing about Mercedes-Benz is that they were really responsive to understanding our needs.”
Based at depots across the UK, the Sprinter 311CDIs have replaced a large proportion of the Parcelforce Worldwide van fleet, which provides express delivery to all 27m addresses across the UK.
The ECO-Start system, which automatically cuts the engine whenever the vehicle is stationary for two seconds, and starts it again as the driver depresses the clutch, was a major part of the Sprinter’s appeal to Parcelforce Worldwide.
Michael Anderson, Parcelforce Worldwide’s head of innovation, says: “The Sprinter ECO-Start supports Parcelforce Worldwide’s environmental policy. We’re looking for these vehicles to deliver something in the region of a 5% fuel saving.”
