Streamlining the Vehicle Conversion Service

A popular and important part of the company’s turnkey approach to jetting equipment, the conversion service provides contractors with a one-stop-shop for getting fully equipped vehicles on the road, along with satisfying health and safety requirements. As part of the process, the company has looked at the principal requirements of most contractors and devised a standard Drainage Engineer Vehicle Specification.

A recent project for Metro Rod (North Midlands and Worcester) is a good example of how the conversion service is adding value. The franchise operates a fleet of eight jetting vans, undertaking a wide range of commercial and domestic drainage work, with a large focus on social housing.

Technical Director Nick Coope has been a Metro Rod franchisee for nine years and has over 24 years’ experience in the drainage industry. He explains that they recently switched to using Andy Guest Jetters for the fleet and says a key reason for changing suppliers was the facility to include conversions as part of the purchase process: “Previously we would have a jetter installed, then do bits of the conversion ourselves and buy off-the-shelf kit to install. We now have a full service and Andy Guest know exactly what we want from a conversion.”

“The two vehicles we’ve had done are identical, which is really good for the lads working in them as they can switch vehicles and know exactly where everything is.”

The conversions entailed installing an internal bulkhead installation to create a clean area in the front section of the vans with a checker-plate lined flooring and shelving. High-level rod tubing and jetter working lights and internal LED lighting were also installed.

Nick says the internal LED lighting is a great addition for the teams working 24/7 in all conditions: “When the side door is opened, the front area is flooded with light, and along with the jetter lighting, this makes operation much easier in dark conditions. We’re more than pleased with the vans and the service we’ve received from Jon (Andy Guest UK Sales Manager). The vans portray a professional image and the operators have also commented on the quality and reliability of the jetting equipment. For example, with previous machines we’ve had problems with radio remotes, particularly when used at range. The Andy Guest radio remote is really good.”

Jon Woods, UK Sales Manager at Andy Guest, says that the van conversion process is an important part of helping contractors realise efficiencies: “The ‘lightweighting’ of jetting units is something that our engineering team has been focused on for several years, and we’ve carried that through to the work we do on vehicle conversions.

“While the benefits of reduced fuel consumption are obvious, there are other incentives to reducing overall payload weight, such as lower maintenance costs and higher resale values, not to mention valuable space to store other operational equipment. In the current climate, it makes a lot of business sense.”

The company’s Drainage Engineer Vehicle Specification has been designed to simplify the ordering process for contractors and includes the standard requirements for lining, shelving, flooring, lighting and bulkhead installations, with the option to add extras such as welfare equipment and specialist storage solutions.