AFI-Uplift Upgrades Its Service Van Fleet

05/01/2011

As part of a move to further reduce the carbon footprint of its service van fleet, AFI-Uplift has bought 22 Citroën Berlingo Enterprise vans and plans to replace the remainder of its existing service van fleet by second quarter 2011.

The 1.6HDi 90hp vans are smaller than AFI’s existing vans and will reduce CO2 emissions and improve fuel economy for AFI. All the vans have been supplied by Citroën Coventry, the UK’s largest Citroën dealer.

Nick Higgins, AFI’s Operations Director, said: “We have been very pleased with Citroën Dispatch vans. Now, in line with the company’s process of continuous improvement, we have specified Berlingo vans for use by our service engineers to provide further environmental and fuel efficiency gains.”

In addition to the comprehensive specification of the range-topping Berlingo Enterprise, which includes air conditioning, Bluetooth®/USB connectivity and rear parking sensors, AFI has specified ply lining, alarms, full steel bulkheads and roof mounted light bars. Based throughout AFI’s 18 strong UK depot network, the Berlingo Enterprise vans are expected to have a three year/100,000 mile service life.

As with all AFI’s vehicles, the new vans will be fitted with sophisticated telemetry systems to enable AFI to monitor vehicle and driver performance. The system provides environmental and safety benefits because it ensures that vehicles are driven within speed limits and economically. This is in line with AFI’s commitment not only to the health and safety of its own staff but also to that of the wider public.

AFI has a hire fleet of over 4,000 powered access machines, including some of the largest available in the UK, which can reach heights of up to140ft. The company is one of the first in the UK powered access industry to have gained both the ISO 14001 environmental management standard and the OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety standard to add to its ISO 9001 certification.