Advertisement feature from Europcar

Stuart Russell, Specialist Vehicle Director at Europcar talks about why being able to supply specialist commercial vehicles is crucial to enable fleet and lease companies to add value to their customer service proposition.


“At the heart of the Europcar commercial vehicle service is our underlying customer promise – to provide the right vehicle, in the right place, at the right time.  And that means simply having a large fleet of standard vehicles isn’t enough.  Adaptability and flexibility are the watchwords for most businesses these days – and we have to support this philosophy with the vehicles we provide for the fleet and leasing businesses that are serving UK PLC. 

“In the last two years, Europcar has focused on the specialist needs of large commercial vehicle users, with the result that now we have arguably one of the most comprehensive fleets of specialist vehicles, available ready to rent with as little as 4 working hours’ notice.  There is no waiting 2 or 3 days for equipment to be fitted or non-standard vehicles to be sourced.

A strong partner

“This high level of flexibility has made us a strong partner for many of the UK’s fleet and lease brands, enabling them to enhance their own customer proposition.  They have the confidence to promise the vehicles their customers need, because they know we can meet their expectations with a permanent fleet of specialist vehicles, including Chapter 8, 4x4 pick-ups and Crew Vans. 

“We have also extended our fleet of plain white vans.  For some organisations, vans with red, amber or green livery are a definite no-no.  Therefore 25% of our van fleet is plain white.

​Local - on a national scale

“Our national van network means we can get vans to our customers, or they can collect them, within 4 business hours.  And our 14 specialist sites in all the major business conurbations across the UK, offer an even more tailored service, with a broad range and volume of commercial vehicles.  In the last year we have increased this network and will soon be opening purpose-built stand-alone van locations at several sites around the UK which will offer the full range of commercial vehicles, supported by an expert team.

Specialist knowledge

“It is that expert and specialist knowledge that we believe is crucial to help fleet and leasing businesses respond to their customers’ needs.  The teams in our specialist supersites know vans inside and out – literally – as well as knowing their local customers and their needs.  So even if we’re dealing with a national business, the relationship with the local managers creates confidence in our service.  And we provide hands-on training for the customer-facing employees in fleet and leasing businesses to understanding the vehicles we have on our fleet and how they can be tailored to meet specific customer requirements.

“It’s all about adding value to the fleet or leasing company’s own service proposition.”

For further information please contact the Europcar Sales Team on 01923 811250 Email: businesssupport@europcar.com Web: europcar.co.uk/van-hire