A fleet of Mercedes-Benz vans operated by Parcelforce Worldwide covered a combined total of 139,500-miles last Friday, the longest day of the year.

Nearly 17 hours of daylight were recorded in the British Isles and yet, as with every day the Parcelforce Worldwide fleet is operating, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinters hardly stopped moving.

Operating from 53 depots and working to tight deadlines, making frequently urgent deliveries to every corner of the UK, the Mercedes-Benz vans are relied on to the extent that even routine servicing takes place at night to allow the Sprinter to keep moving during daylight hours.

Making this possible is the option of 24 hour servicing - available to any Mercedes-Benz van operator - allowing customers to simply drop their vehicle off at their local participating Mercedes-Benz Retailer in the evening.

The van is then ready to be collected early the following morning having been serviced and cleaned - ensuring the vehicle stays on the road and as little time as possible is lost.

Indeed, the Parcelforce Worldwide fleet covered an average of 11,625 miles every hour on Friday during a 12-hour shift, from 6am to 6pm.

Such hard use quickly exposes any potential weaknesses and yet the Sprinter has been carefully and rigorously designed to thrive in these conditions.

During the development process of the new Sprinter, due in the UK in September, prototypes covered over five million miles ensuring not only mechanical durability but that the driver is comfortable, the controls are robust and intuitive and the load space can be efficiently accessed.

Providing an extra challenge is the guarantee made by Parcelforce Worldwide of express delivery to all 29 million addresses in the UK - meaning the Sprinter fleet is subjected to often tough road conditions and ever tougher weather.

Yet through the combination of the most extensive testing imaginable and the 24 hour support of a dedicated Retailer network, the Sprinter can cope - ensuring that June 21 is not the only long day of the year.