Wolverhampton, UK: Temperature-controlled vehicle hire and leasing company Freezerent has celebrated its 10th anniversary by investing in its 100th refrigerated Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
Wolverhampton-based company took delivery of the new 313 CDI from local Dealer Midlands Truck & Van, with which it has developed a successful partnership over the last decade. The landmark vehicle was converted and fitted with a GAH fridge by Vantastec of Ystrad Mynach, near Cardiff.
Founded by managing director Lee Dorward, Freezerent offers all makes and sizes of vehicle, from car-derived vans to 26-tonne rigid trucks and tractor units, on flexible short-, medium- and long-term contracts. The company made strong progress in its early years and despite some very difficult trading conditions has continued to grow. Last year was its best yet in terms of turnover and profit.
Freezerent has previously opted to buy approved used 3.5- and 5.0-tonne Sprinters from Midlands Truck & Van, and will continue to do so when the right vehicles become available. However, its most recent acquisitions were of new vans, and Dorward, who was joined in the business five years ago by fellow director Lee Hampson, anticipates that new vehicles with single- and multi-temperature configurations will account for a much higher proportion of future purchases.
“We’ve certainly tried vans by other manufacturers but they didn’t stand up to the job as well as a Mercedes-Benz,” he said. “The Sprinter offers outstanding reliability, fuel efficiency and driver appeal, as well as leading the market in terms of its safety features. Everyone likes to drive a Mercedes-Benz and when it comes to spot rental in particular, it can help to finalise a deal if the vehicle you’re offering has this high level of quality.
“Every bit as important to us, though, is the after sales support we receive from Midlands Truck & Van and other members of the manufacturer’s Dealer Network,” he continued. “All of our Sprinters are on Mercedes-Benz Complete Care repair and maintenance contracts, and in the unlikely event that one suffers a breakdown the Mercedes-Benz Service 24h emergency roadside assistance cover is far superior to the alternatives provided by its competitors.
“Midlands Truck & Van is a commercial vehicle specialist. This means it has a far better understanding than would a car dealer, of the crucial importance of getting a refrigerated vehicle back on the road as quickly as possible.”
Dorward added: “Anyone can supply a vehicle for a cheap price – and ours are invariably highly competitive – but it’s imperative for a rental company also to offer the levels of round-the-clock service that we do. We stay right on top of our maintenance and we don’t cut corners, so if a vehicle suffers accident damage, for example, we get it repaired immediately. We rely heavily on Mercedes-Benz to deliver on our comprehensive back-up promise.”
Happy Birthday Freezerent!