Ford has increased its fleet of Mobile Service vans by a third to support fleet operators in the growing home delivery sector.

Mobile servicing has become a major part of the aftersales service Ford is offering its fleet customers to keep their vehicles on the road during the Covid-19 crisis.

It was first introduced in 2016, following a successful pilot in 2015 within M25. The Trust Ford network has now increased its active number of Mobile Service Vans by 27, growing the total number of operational vehicles by almost 30%, to 130 vehicles.

Stuart Foulds, chairman and CEO of TrustFord, said: “Running a mobile servicing operation takes hard work and dedication but we have always understood our customers’ need to keep their fleets on the road. We are ambitious to keep growing our mobile servicing team and will be significantly investing in our offering in the months ahead. We aim to have grown our national network significantly by the end of this year.”

The Mobile Service vans are able to service and repair Ford commercial vehicles at the owner’s convenience, with a pre-arranged time slot and location to minimise downtime. Each van is able to conduct up to five vehicle services per day, with the potential to undertake multiple services at any location, subject to health and safety risk assessments. Other work includes light maintenance and warranty repairs.

Each week, the fleet covers 15,000 miles across the country and up to now, the 103 Ford Mobile Service vans covering all four corners of the UK have completed more than 80,000 jobs.

The vans are equipped with a specially-designed racking system by Edstrom, including custom shelving, storage and compartments to hold all the tools required to carry out a comprehensive service.

Equipment includes a 2.5-tonne jack and axle stands to allow technicians easy access to the underside of vehicles, on-board diagnostics, allowing servicing of all Ford vehicles in the range. Ford’s Omnicraft parts range also enables the Mobile Service van technician on site to service and maintain non-Ford vehicles.

Mandy Dean, commercial vehicle director, Ford of Britain and Ireland, said: “Customers are relying on their vans’ smooth running more than ever. Regular servicing ensures that their vehicles remain safe, receive important updates and deliver optimal fuel economy. Our Mobile Service Van initiative is enjoying renewed interest as a Covid-secure and time-efficient way to maintain fleets.”

Ford also operates Mobile Service vans in other countries around the world – including in North America where they have more than 100 vans supporting their private retail and business customers across the country. An expansion plan is in place to increase their fleet of vehicles to 200 by the end of this year.

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