RVS has launched another service and now offers a hire fleet made up of both new and used vehicles. This includes a range of 15 tonne and 26 tonne RCVs, hook-loaders, top-loaders and front-end-loaders, all available for short and long-term projects. LAPV reports.
Spencer Law, managing director of Refuse Vehicle Solutions (RVS) explained: 'Our customer expectations have grown to include having everything under one roof, so we have tried to keep them satisfied by expanding our range of services. These now include a wide range of vehicle options, such as painting or vehicle wrapping and fitting additional equipment, such as weighing systems, LED lighting, cyclist warning systems, CCTV cameras and reversing radar.'
Last year RVS diversified into supplying new vehicles with the launch of its RediTruck service, which offers brand new high spec refuse collection vehicles from stock.
'This way, we eliminate the long lead times often required by manufacturers which frustrate waste management operators. RediTruck gives operators an alternative solution and the ability to react quickly to changes in their fleet or a sudden increase in customer demand,' added Law.
'We never want to let customers down so if they ask us if we can do something, we try to do it. We've developed the company along those lines and we aim to be, corny as it sounds, a one-stop shop.'
As well as being able to purchase new, used and remanufactured vehicles, the company also offers after-sales support services. The Parts Department offers stock consisting of new, used and reconditioned parts and the Service Department has a team of mobile engineers to look after fleet as clients' requirements arise. RVS also offers help with finance and a low-loader service to collect and deliver vehicles. But the latest service it has added is the new hire fleet.
Paul Brown, commercial director at RVS, said: 'Our focus is to deliver what the customer wants. More and more customers were asking if we could provide a temporary vehicle to bridge the gap while they were waiting for replacement vehicles or for repairs to be completed and we don't like to say 'no'! We are in an ideal position to build up a fleet of customer support vehicles because we understand what specification of vehicles they are looking for. Many of our vehicles are FORS-compliant with safety equipment and bin-weighing technology installed, so they can hit the ground running.'
RVS also has a team of engineers to maintain its customer support fleet and keep the vehicles in perfect working order. The company's hire fleet is made up of both new and quality-used vehicles and includes a range of 15 tonne and 26 tonne RCVs, hook-loaders, top-loaders and front-end-loaders, all available for short and long-term hire. The vehicles come with the latest equipment, such as LED lighting and four-way camera systems with hard-disk recording.
'We might not be a dedicated hire company but this service complements our core business perfectly,' added Brown.
'Our focus is on quality rather than quantity and we're building up a fleet of high-quality, well-equipped and fit-for-purpose vehicles. We also offer a contract hire option so a customer can have a brand new vehicle without any up-front capital investment. Their costs are fixed and the vehicle is maintained by our specialist engineers to minimise downtime and maximise optimum operation, so it's a hassle-free way to run a fleet.'
As part of the contract hire package, RVS takes care of such costs as servicing and MOT tests, and also carries out inspections of all vehicles every six-weeks for preventative maintenance purposes. Breakdown replacement vehicles are also included. When the contract term finishes, RVS takes the vehicle back and, knowing its history and having looked after it, the company is well-placed to prepare it for a second life as a quality-used vehicle.
With proper management, RVS claims it can achieve up to 15 years' service from a vehicle, in contrast to between five and seven years which is typically when customers sell their vehicles and buy a new one.
Each vehicle is fully inspected, lubricated and given a filter change. It has continually monitored the condition of the chassis, body and bin-lifting equipment, performed annual LOLER inspections and provided recommendations for prolonging equipment life.
'Refuse vehicles need specialist maintenance to keep them in optimum condition and to stop things going wrong,' said Law.
'It's typically at the point when the manufacturer's warranty runs out that the vehicle starts to require expensive repairs and the bills start rolling in. We see inadequate repairs undertaken by independent engineers all the time. Once electrical circuits and control units have been tampered with they are vulnerable and unreliable. Life-long problems can be caused by an engineer who doesn't know what he is looking for or lacks the technical data.
'As far as future developments at RVS are concerned, that depends on what our customers want. We listen to them and keep close tabs on the market place, including new legislation or regulations coming in, to maintain our understanding of our customers' businesses. We just try to stay a step or two ahead so that we are ready to meet the next set of challenges as they arise.'
