Vans for Bands gets rock star treatment from DKV Mobility
Fleet operator Vans for Bands Limited has been benefiting from fuel card and toll services from DKV Mobility, which help simplify its task of transporting musicians, athletes and entertainers all across Europe.
As one of the continent’s largest suppliers of passenger transport for the live music industry, UK-based Vans for Bands provides touring artists with purpose-built vans, thoughtfully outfitted to cater to the unique needs of bands on the road.
This unique fleet of splitter vans and luxury nightliners delivers both comfort and functionality, while servicing approximately 100 tours per month and transporting up to 10,000 artists and crew members each year.
Tarrant Anderson, company director of Vans for Bands Limited, has relied on DKV Mobility for over 10 years. The firm first utilised the DKV Card to allow drivers to fuel up conveniently all over Europe, and has since added toll services, refund services, and vehicle services to its operations.
Unlike cargo fleets, the Vans for Bands fleet carries “cargo that talks back to us”, as Tarrant puts it. Naturally, this creates challenges for the company, which according to Tarrant, are similar to those that might be encountered when running a hotel.
Instead of simply making sure cargo arrives safely to its destination, Vans for Bands must meet high customer expectations without compromising logistics support. This greatly affects the role of the drivers, who must simultaneously be capable drivers, provide outstanding customer service, and understand the workings of the nightliners that act as ‘hotels on wheels’.
Tarrant believes that DKV Mobility’s extensive fuel station network coverage removes a major stressor for drivers. Additionally, the single toll solution of DKV Box Europe means that drivers have one convenient toll box to work with, instead handling several toll boxes cluttering up their dashboard.
The services that Vans for Bands provides are a complex mix of customer service and logistics; and in the background, legislative and logistic realities add further complications. Tarrant feels that the partnership with DKV Mobility is “like oil in an engine”.
He continued: “Getting all of those things right when you’re in a service company is really, really important. If they’re not right, if that oil isn’t working, then the quality of the product that we offer is not good.
“So the quality of DKV Mobility allows us to offer a better service to our customers and is ultimately part of our continued growth.”
Additionally, Vans for Bands relies on the fast and reliable problem-solving abilities of its DKV Mobility account manager, Jessica Hill, who has provided constant support to the company over more than four years.
“What DKV Mobility does for us is quite complex,” Tarrant explained.
“Jessica has always been incredibly good at answering [our] questions and addressing any problems quickly and accurately.”
The feeling is mutual, as Jessica reflects warmly on the cooperation with Vans for Bands.
“It’s such a lovely family company,” she said.
“Every single person I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with has been just wonderful. It is really interesting dealing with a customer who isn’t just haulage and great fun to hear some of the rock star stories.”
As Tarrant and Vans for Bands look towards the future, green energy is a major area of focus. Sustainable fuel technology and infrastructure for large commercial coaches that aren’t able to make use of point-to-point routes remains in early stages of development.
Therefore the company faces yet another unique challenge. Tarrant looks forward to the day that Vans for Bands can begin the transition away from traditional fuel to green fuel.
“We are trying to be very forward-thinking and are always keeping our eyes on the horizon in terms of ‘How can we develop our product?’, ‘How can we make things better?’, ‘How can we make things greener?” he said.
In the meantime, the company is keeping a close eye on how the technology advances.
When asked if he would partner with DKV Mobility again when that transition becomes possible, his response was quick: “Yes, absolutely,” Tarrant said.
“That would be our preference.”
