What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

ELLIOTT BROTHERS (supplied by Hendy Van & Truck)

For over 175 years, family-run Elliotts have been serving Hampshire and Dorset with building supplies, kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms across its 13 sites.
An IVECO customer for almost two decades, the company’s bright red fleet of trucks has recently been bolstered by a heavy-weight 7.2t Daily box van and quartet of 3.5t dropsides. The fleet has been diversified to better serve smaller- scale deliveries, reduce delivery times and increase operational efficiency. The judges were impressed with this adaptability to recent socio-economic change
and the business’s focus on safety. Elliotts worked with local bodybuilder VFS
to add extra load-securing points, access steps and grab handles for the cargo area. The vehicles themselves were specified from factory with full LED headlights, which improve low-light hazard perception by up to 15%. They also include a 7in Hi-Connect infotainment system with TomTom Live navigation that takes vehicle size and weight into consideration to only direct along suitable roads.

NMC DRAINAGE (supplied by Guest Truck & Van)

Doncaster-based NMC specialise in surfacing, drainage and civil engineering – demanding tasks in often challenging environments where durability and payload are vital. Recent projects have included filling station and car park resurfacing for Tesco Brighouse, a BP filling station in Bedford and Euro Garages in Stoke using innovative and environmentally friendly materials. NMC went for a 7t GVW 70C18 Daily with 4100mm wheelbase and the highest roof, offering a cavernous 19.6m3 cargo bay. This caught the judge’s eyes due to its clear demonstration of the Daily’s capability. Estimated to cover 175,000 miles during a five-year lifecycle, fuel economy and driver comfort is key, so the 180hp 3.0 diesel is mated to IVECO’s class-leading eight-speed Hi-Matic automatic transmission. Not only that, it’s the first of its kind to run a PTO-driven high-pressure water jetting machine, complete with onboard water tank, power inverter for 110-240v tool charging and bespoke full-length, crash- tested shelving and storage system.

MKM BUILDING SUPPLIES (supplied by North East Truck & Van)