PROACE LIFTS FIRST MAJOR FLEET CONTRACT WITH TOYOTA MATERIAL HANDLING UK
More than 100 vans ordered for forklift truck distributor’s national fleet
The new Toyota Proace medium-duty van was no shoo-in when it came to finding favour as a fleet purchase for Toyota Material Handling UK, it had to prove its worth in a rigorous tender process. TMHUK, which provides national sales and servicing for Toyota forklift trucks and warehouse equipment, found Proace to be the best vehicle on offer, thanks to its functionality and excellent cost-of-ownership performance.
Toyota Fleet Services has secured Proace’s first major fleet deal in the UK, with an initial contract to supply 116 vehicles – all long wheelbase/standard height models powered by a 126bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine. These will be used TMHUK’s engineers for the company’s national servicing, installation and repair operations, as part of a business fleet that numbers 400 LCVs.
Proace, which joined the Toyota range as a replacement for Hiace earlier this year, has all the functionality modern business users require. The line-up offers a choice nine different configurations, including two vehicle lengths, two height options, payloads of one or 1.2 tonnes and a choice of three diesel engines. The versions selected by TMHUK have been fitted with racking by specialist supplier Bott inside the capacious, 6m3 loadspace.
The comfort and safety of TMHUK’s workforce will be addressed by a standard Proace equipment specification that includes ABS with emergency brake assist, VSC stability control, driver and front passenger airbags and air conditioning. The vans are also fitted with Bluetooth, electric windows, driver’s seat height adjustment and reach and rake adjustment for the steering wheel.
Phill Bird After Sales Director for Toyota Material Handling UK is delighted that the Toyota Proace will be the tool of choice for his team. Bird commented “After a rigorous process of testing the Toyota Proace ticked all the boxes for comfort, efficiency and effectiveness for our field technicians. Their vehicles are more than just a van, they have to provide a spacious environment providing parts storage and a mobile workshop to deliver our trademark of world class support and the Proace provides both with comfort and style to match.”
