Vanaways’ speedy delivery gets Omnis on the road without delay!

Traffic management specialist Omnis Highway Solutions was so impressed with the service from independent vehicle supplier Vanaways that it gave the green light to a repeat order.

The Lincolnshire-based operator initially took 12 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters from Vanaways, which arrived in batches of three throughout last year. Now it is expecting imminent delivery of a further five identical vehicles.

All are 3.5-tonne Sprinter 315 CDI models, powered by fuel-efficient 2.0-litre diesel engines that generate 150 hp and 340 Nm of torque, and drive through the rear wheels. The Sprinter range also includes front- and all-wheel drive versions, while the recently launched second-generation eSprinter now offers emissions-free electric mobility with a range of up to 277 miles on single charge.

The Sprinters were supplied as chassis cabs and fitted with bespoke dropside bodies by Hull-based Martin Williams – these feature special racking, tail lifts and fall prevention systems.

They have joined a fleet of 46 similarly sized and specified vehicles, which operate from Omnis’ headquarters in Scunthorpe, as well as depots in Dartford, Northampton and Taunton. From these four sites Omnis offers coverage across England, providing traffic management equipment and services to customers including road surfacing, civil engineering and utilities contractors, as well as organisers of public events such as fun runs.

Omnis first turned to Vanaways after becoming frustrated at the increasing difficulty of finding vehicles that could be delivered to a reasonable timeframe, from previous suppliers.

Operations Manager Josh Smith said: “We were coming up against problems every time, whether we were trying to lease or buy – people either couldn’t commit to a delivery date, or if they could it was anything up to a year or more away.

“As a growing business, picking up new contracts all the time and needing vehicles to service that work, those long lead times are just no use to us.

“From our first contact with Vanaways, though, the picture could not have been more different,” he continued. “I had seen posts from their Business Development Manager, Hannah Pearson, on LinkedIn, about vehicles being delivered to customers much more quickly, so I got in touch.

“Within a week of that message Hannah had visited our office for a meeting, and before the end of the second week the first batch of vehicles were ordered. Hannah also took us to visit Martin Williams, and helped get the bodies designed to our ideal specification.

“The first vehicles were on the road inside two months. The service was unbeatable and they’re the best vans we’ve ever had, with top quality bodywork that fits our needs precisely – which explains why, when it came to ordering a second batch, we returned straight to Hannah and Vanaways without hesitation.”