Cash-in-transit specialist Loomis has signed a service contract deal with Mercedes-Benz for its additional 105 used Sprinters.

The deal provides Loomis with fixed costs, as well as round-the-clock repair and maintenance back-up including MobiloVan roadside assistance.

The additional vehicles joined the company’s existing fleet, of more than 400 Sprinters, last year as part of an acquisition deal. Crucially, the new contract covers the vehicles inherited by Loomis until they are eight years old. The same is true of the vans it was already operating.

Howard Oakley, Loomis technical services manager, said: “No other manufacturer to my knowledge – and certainly not the other, mainstream van supplier that we’ve also used in the past – would commit to a comprehensive repair and maintenance contract for such an extended period.

"The Sprinter is the vehicle of choice for the cash-in-transit industry and those we took on as a result of the acquisition were a good match for our fleet profile.

"It’s worth noting, though, that they had previously been maintained by various third-party providers and not by Mercedes-Benz Dealers – despite this, the manufacturer was still prepared to put them on contract.”

Mercedes-Benz also supplies the majority of the operator’s 250 trucks, in addition to its entire van fleet. Most of its Sprinters are converted 3.5-tonne panel vans although the line-up also includes a substantial number of box-bodied 5-tonne chassis cabs. The Sprinters are specified with varying grades of security protection, reflecting their different roles.