New vans specifically for plumbing, gas and heating professionals

(13/09/2007)

Load safety has recently been highlighted as a major duty-of-care concern by the Transport Research Laboratory, which noted that some fleet operators rely on a bulkhead – which is not designed to withstand the forces involved in an accident – rather than racking, and that inadequate and DIY racking systems can merely exacerbate the effects of an accident. The Freight Transport Association has now announced a major research exercise into the issue, with a report due by the end of this year.

Lombard Vehicle Management (LVM) has launched a range of vans specifically for plumbing, gas & heating professionals.

The vehicles are part of an extensive range of ready converted ‘turn-key’ vans to meet the needs of professional electricians, builders, glaziers, workshop technicians, florists and refrigerated delivery services, as well as plumbers and gas and heating engineers.

As well as offering a hassle-free, one-stop solution, the initiative helps tackle the problem of sub-standard load safety measures by providing a benchmark standard for even the smallest of fleet operators.

Each derivative in the LVM range will be delivered with specialist racking, lining and resin floor, steel bulkhead and internal lighting, plus dedicated livery. A full range of options is available to customise the vehicle as necessary. The specialist vans will be based on a range of vehicles offering a choice of sizes for each profession.

The range is being launched immediately with two derivatives – one for electricians and another for gas engineers/plumbers based on the Citroen Berlingo 1.6 Hdi 600 LX and Dispatch 1.6 Hdi 1000/1200 L1H1/L2H1 models. The other versions will become available later this year. Rentals start at £205 per month, based on a three-year non-maintained contract hire over 10,000 miles per annum, representing excellent value thanks to LVM’s purchasing power.

“We produced a van with a generic specification for professionals last year and it was a big success,” says LVM Van Operations Manager, Wayne Millward. “Many companies simply do not have the resources to ensure that their vehicles are correctly equipped, so it was clear that specific vehicle packages for different key professions would provide a service of real value to a large number of businesses. The increasing need to comply with duty-of-care legislation makes the range even more valuable - ensuring that a vehicle is fit for purpose is vital for safe operation as well as simply accomplishing its work. All of these vehicles come with a bulkhead and racking that has been through crash testing, so are compliant from a duty of care perspective”

Related categories:  Vehicles and transport 

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