Document management and archive storage specialist Storofile has become the first business in Dorset to take on a new van model from Mercedes-Benz.

Supplied by south coast Dealer Pentagon Commercials, the Vito 119 Bluetec long crew van seats a driver and up to five colleagues, while also providing a practical cargo area.

As weight rather than volume is the critical factor in terms of carrying capacity, Storofile elected to uprate its new Vito from the standard 3.05 tonnes to a gross weight of 3.2 tonnes, as well as specifying a 70-litre fuel tank in place of the standard 57-litre item.

The new arrival is now working alongside the company’s other Mercedes-Benz van, a 3.5-tonne Sprinter purchased in 2012.

“It’s all about ‘horses for courses’,” said Jim Sutcliffe, owner of Storofile.

“Paper is very heavy and our archive boxes typically weigh between 10 and 20 kilos apiece. The Sprinter will carry up to 150 at a time on three pallets but the New Vito gives us a lot of extra flexibility.

“With the seats in place we can use the van to transport up to six members of staff to a customer’s premises.

"However, if we remove the rear seats, there’s enough room to carry up to 100 boxes, provided we don’t exceed the 1.2-tonne payload capacity.”