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The road surfacing company has expanded its fleet of Mercedes-Benz vans. The additions include a 3.5-tonne Sprinter 313 CDI chassis cab, seven Citan 109 CDI small vans and five Sprinter 313 CDI crew vans to the Northampton-based company’s fleet of 100 commercial vehicles.

Supplied by Wellingborough Dealer Intercounty Truck & Van, most are panel vans and crew vans with second rows of seats.

The 3.5-tonne Sprinter 313 CDI chassis cab is equipped with a dropside body, for general materials and tool carrying duties use.

It is the first time Tripod Crest has purchased a new dropsider: the company previously preferred to buy pre-owned examples instead.

Tripod Crest's Citan 109 CDI small vans will be used primarily on tarmac sites.

The five Sprinter 313 CDI crew vans are fitted out to welfare specification.

Each has two beds, a kitchen and storage area with a sink and microwave oven, and a drying cupboard for wet clothes.

All of the company’s welfare vehicles are equipped with air conditioning and night heaters, as well as extra ventilation.

Craig Baker, workshop manager, said: “Our lads can potentially be out on site all week, so we endeavour to make life as comfortable as possible for them.

“We choose Mercedes-Benz vans for their all-round quality and outstanding reliability, while the fuel economy is pretty good too: we’re getting up to 40 mpg from the Citans.

“Safety is another key priority, as we’re very aware of our duty of care obligations not only to our own employees, but also to other road users.

“We take great comfort, therefore, from knowing they’re equipped with a market-leading array of standard-fit active and passive features, to which we add cameras, proximity sensors and audible reversing warnings.”