Dacorum Borough Council has taken delivery of 11 new RCVs from Geesinknorba, after the latter secured a major contract with the local authority.
The 11 new 26-tonne RCVs feature a Geesinknorba GPMIV body with combi split bin lift on a Mercedes Econic chassis with a 3900 wheelbase.
The order is part of Dacorum Borough Council’s ongoing programme of moving from a mixed fleet to a more standardised fleet of vehicles.
Simon Smith, transport manager at Dacorum Borough Council, said: “As part of this programme we are introducing fleet standardisation where possible, which will allow us to access all the benefits that come with this, including driver and technician familiarity with the vehicles, manufacturer support, and streamlining a stock of spare parts.
“We put together a specification of our ideal vehicle, which not only considered its capabilities but also included vehicle design, our ability to carry out maintenance and servicing, the location of the manufacturer – how quickly they could respond to issues – and the long term reliability of the whole of the product.
“We are very comfortable that the combination we have chosen, a Geesinknorba body on a Mercedes Econic chassis, gives us a robust and reliable vehicle.”
The RCVs will go into service this month across the Borough, collecting a range of trade, domestic, and green waste and operating in both urban and rural environments.
As part of the contract, and to ensure that the roll out of the new vehicles goes smoothly, both Geesinknorba and Mercedes will provide ongoing training for drivers, loaders, and technicians, including operational training and driver familiarisation.
Also, Geesinknorba staff, including two engineers, will also be on hand for the duration of the mobilisation to deal with any initiation problems, and the engineers will spend time with workshop staff to familiarise them with the maintenance of the vehicles.
Stuart Cudden, corporate account manager at Geesinknorba’s, said: “We listened carefully to Dacorum’s requirements and worked closely with Mercedes Benz to put together a package that not only fulfils the vehicle specifications but also provides a high level of service on an ongoing basis to support Simon and his team in their fleet modernisation strategy.
“We have worked hard to build a strong relationship with the customer and show our commitment to the success of this contract from point of sale to the end of the vehicle lifecycle and beyond.”
The voluntary scheme encourages and supports operators of HGVs, vans, buses and coaches to run their fleets more efficiently and to improve local air quality.
Recently, a fully electric refuse truck was trialled in London.
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Kenneth Brown
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A writer, journalist, marketer and social media manager with a degree in English and History, Kenneth became a professional writer in 2011. In 2014 he started his own business covering business events, world title boxing fights, plus tutoring, a year-long charity role for Peterborough’s disability community and working at the Crop Protection Association. Kenneth is content producer for Bauer Media’s AM and Fleet News brands. His role involves producing content for the website, newsletter, social media and assisting in the magazine’s production.
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