North of England PVC building and insulated glazing products supplier Magden is hoping to boost delivery times by adding two innovative ‘toolbox-style’ vans to its fleet.
Magden operations manager Carl Dent masterminded the bespoke interior in order to improve the company’s efficiency when delivering products to its growing customer base.
Like a toolbox, the two 3.5 tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinter box vans have individual layers to store different products and improve accessibility. The layering method allows staff to take items off each section easily, boosting both the capacity and the speed of deliveries.
Carl explained: “This method of storing products on individual decks makes them easy to get at. We have three points of accessibility on the side of the vehicle and have fully utilised the space in the bulkhead above the driver’s cabin.
“It’s almost like a miniature tool kit with all of the different layers, blocks and spaces. The design gives us greater flexibility and allows us to deliver more items in one run in order to improve our delivery times and service to customers.”
The methodical design means that if a route is changed after the van is loaded, the driver can take products off each layer when making a delivery without the need to potentially empty the van to reach the items required.
Carl added: “To my knowledge, nobody has built a van in this way before and we’ll be trialing the first two vehicles before we consider adding more to the fleet.”
The vans have joined 16 other vehicles in the Magden fleet and will be based at the Cleckheaton and Rotherham sites.
The focus on deliveries is part of a period of significant investment and innovation for the fast-growing company.
In recent months Magden has refurbished its branches to create more of a ‘showroom atmosphere’. Along with new product displays and trade counters, the refurbishment saw new signage, shelving and flooring for all branches.
Magden has also increased its range in recent months: Kayflow underground drainage, Fitrite decking and decorative cladding have all been added to its stock list with the aim of repositioning as a ‘one-stop shop’ for plastic building products.
