West Country hire specialist Plantforce has assigned its first Mercedes-Benz vans to mobile engineers responsible for maintaining its excavators, telehandlers, dozers and demolition equipment out in the field.

The trio of fuel-efficient Sprinter 313 CDIs were supplied by Mercedes-Benz of Weston-super-Mare, and chosen for the strength and durability that makes them ideally suited to clocking up high mileages and working on rough sites.

Two are based at Plantforce’s headquarters in Bristol, the other at its depot in Exeter, which has been so successful since it opened last year that the company has already begun the search for bigger premises.

The Medium-length vans were racked out by Motor On Services, of Bristol, to carry a comprehensive stock of spare parts and tools, and are also equipped with welding machines and sinks.

Plantforce was founded 14 years ago by managing director Claire Trott and its growing fleet now extends to some 380 pieces of equipment, which its hires out to customers on a self-drive or operated basis.

"We rely on our mobile engineers to keep our machines up and running when they’re out working in the most challenging of conditions," she said. "It’s a tough job and their vans will be worked hard, covering up to 60,000 miles a year, so they must be able to last the pace.

"Our engineers are delighted with their Sprinters, which represent a big step forward for us in terms of specification and cab comfort.

"Given the mileages they’ll be covering the fact that these new vans offer better fuel economy than our previous vehicles was another big attraction, as were the many high-tech safety systems that come fitted as standard.

"As a company that’s very conscious of its Duty of Care responsibilities to employees and other road users, we find it reassuring to know that our vans are widely recognised as the safest on the road.

"Image is very important and the three-pointed star can only reinforce perceptions of Plantforce as a quality business, while Mercedes-Benz of Weston-super-Mare’s service has certainly lived up to the brand promise."