Office stationery and supplies company Lyreco is in the process of taking
delivery of a fleet of 48 new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 511 panel vans, each
benefiting from the latest Eco-Start technology and supplied on full service
contract hire by Fraikin.
This latest order, with deliveries spread across 2009, will see Fraikin increase
its share of Lyreco's 395-strong fleet to more than 90 per cent, following the
company's switch to contract hire which began in July 2005.
Each of the new vehicles is being supplied on a mixture of four and five year
full service contract hire agreements, which are controlled centrally via
Fraikin's dedicated Customer Service Centre (CSC) in Coventry. Operating 24
hours a day, the CSC co-ordinates all vehicle maintenance via a dual network of
both Fraikin branches and approved repair agents, nationwide. This ensures
Lyreco benefits from the highest standards of maintenance, with servicing
facilities located within several miles of each of its 24 regional distribution
centres.
Tom Vallings, Logistics Supervisor at Lyreco explains: "When we took the
decision to move the fleet to contract hire, one of our key reasons for
partnering with Fraikin was the strength of its service back-up, coupled with an
unrivalled level of expertise in the truck sector."
"When it comes to contract hire, vans are either lumped in with cars or trucks,
and since more than 60 per cent of our vans are fitted with tachographs and
plated between 4.5 and 5.5 tonnes, we favoured a provider with experience at the
heavier end of the market.
"Four years down the line, and with more than 90 per cent of the fleet on
contract hire, it's proven a very positive decision for the business," he adds.
The Eco-Start technology used in these Sprinter models automatically turns the
engine off when the vehicle is stationary, for example in traffic, and is
claimed to save 10 per cent in fuel on a typical urban distribution cycle. As
an additional benefit, this fuel saving directly reduces the amount of exhaust
and CO2 emissions produced, which is a particularly important consideration in
built-up areas where air quality is a paramount issue. A quiet cab with no
idling engine noise can also help reduce driver fatigue in heavily congested
areas.
Together, the entire fleet makes more than 15,000 deliveries each day, backed up
by an industry-leading delivery guarantee of 'yours tomorrow or yours free',
across an extensive range of over 6,000 products. This guarantee is supported
by a substitute vehicle policy, built into each contract hire agreement with
Fraikin across the entire Lyreco van fleet. Therefore, in the event of a
vehicle suffering a breakdown, Fraikin will provide a substitute vehicle to
ensure Lyreco can continue its deliveries without delay.
Each contract hire agreement comprises full servicing, maintenance, repair and
MOTs, carried out during evenings and weekends, with collection and delivery of
the vehicle to and from the workshop. It also includes road fund licensing,
tyres, 24/7 emergency roadside assistance, relief vehicle cover and the
provision of monthly KPI & management reports.