We see this trend every year, as it’s simply when vans are upgraded in anticipation of one of the busiest periods in the year for deliveries. A courier doesn’t want to struggle with an unreliable van, especially as the weather gets colder.

There are four models in particular that we sell a lot of at this time of year. The first is the Ford Transit Jumbo, then there’s the Iveco long wheel base high roof Jumbo as well. The Mercedes Sprinter Long wheel base high roof van is a perennial favourite and the Volkswagen Crafter long wheel base high roof van is a popular one for couriers too. All of these makes of vans can handle a lot of deliveries, are fuel efficient and reliable workhorses too. So if you’re going to be on the road a lot in the lead up to the end of December (see, we didn’t say it again!) get in touch so we can help you get the best value large used van for your needs.

The Nissan Navara is proving to be popular and also the Toyota HiLux. The popular 4x4s are definitely at the higher end of the market. They’re luxury models with sat nav, leather seats and other luxury features as standard. One of the main reasons they’re so popular is because they’re convenient family vehicles as well as work horses. They can carry a family of five in considerable comfort as well as shifting heavy loads and dealing with difficult terrain and weather.

We’d like to add that demand for these 4×4 vans is only going to increase over the coming months, so we advise anyone thinking about buying a used 4×4 to do so before the first snowy weather, and you might save yourself some money as the prices will only go up too. The best place to look is http://www.anchor4x4.co.uk/ or give us a call on 0118 9710 230.

The demand for used vans has been incredibly high, and in all honestly it’s quite a relief to have an extra sales executive to help us meet that demand! Michael has many years experience in motor industry, and recently transferred from Snows Motor Group.

We work very hard here at Anchor Vans, but there’s a great atmosphere and we have a good laugh too. We’re sure that Michael will soon feel right at home, and will get to know our regular customers well.

Now, three years later, those vans which would normally have been bought new that year simply haven’t trickled into the used van market. The impact can be seen in prices of used vans which are going back up due to the shortage not being able to easily meet the demand for 3 year old commercial vehicles.

Many people have seen the long-term effects of the credit crunch, this is just the way it’s impacted upon the used van industry. All we can promise is that we’ll continue to work hard to find the best quality used vans and make them available to you at the best possible prices, just as we always have.

Lending the Quicklight team a minibus for their 3 Peaks Challenge is our way of helping them to raise as much money as possible, by removing the cost of hiring a minibus which is critical for the challenge. The 3 Peaks Challenge is to climb Ben Nevis In Scotland (1344m), Scafell Pike in England (978m), and Mount Snowdon in Wales (1085m) – all within one 24 hour period.

The climbers use the minibus trips between each peak to rest and catch up on some sleep, so we made sure we gave them the 12 seater Ford transit also known here as “the Cadillac of minibuses” so they are as comfortable as possible.

The Pilgrims Hospices have been providing care and support free of charge to people with life-limiting illnesses, their families and carers for over two decades and is dependent on charitable donations. If you would like to support the Quicklight team, donations can be made here: http://www.justgiving.com/teams/quicklightclimbers.

Having a dedicated and well-organised parts room on site was the next logical step. It means that vehicle servicing can be turned around even faster as we don’t have to wait for any parts to be ordered in, and it makes the entire servicing arm of Anchor Vans more efficient. So if you need a Ford-approved service for your car or van, you know where to come!

So why are used VW Transporter vans in particular so popular with the surfing community and festival goers? Well, they’re reliable vehicles and can easily be adapted for purpose. For example, we can fit racks for surfboards in the back and there’s still loads of room left for all the other gear too. There are other adaptations too for the really serious surfers. You can find out more at www.surfwheels.com by the way.

And as for festival goers and VW camper vans, there’s the reliability again and also the fact that they are more comfortable than a tent without the cost of a B&B. The only thing we don’t offer, is the more creative spray paint designs we’ve seen at various festivals. That’s definitely something for the owners to do themselves!

So why are used VW Transporter vans in particular so popular with the surfing community and festival goers? Well, they’re reliable vehicles and can easily be adapted for purpose. For example, we can fit racks for surfboards in the back and there’s still loads of room left for all the other gear too. There are other adaptations too for the really serious surfers. You can find out more at www.surfwheels.com by the way.

And as for festival goers and VW camper vans, there’s the reliability again and also the fact that they are more comfortable than a tent without the cost of a B&B. The only thing we don’t offer, is the more creative spray paint designs we’ve seen at various festivals. That’s definitely something for the owners to do themselves!

We sell a wide range of new and used commercial vehicles, and have seen a steady increase in the amount of van finance requests since the economy started its recovery, even though it’s still very tough out there. We provide our van finance packages through Carlisle Finance who are well respected in the vehicle financing industry and a company we’ve worked with for many years.

We take this commitment very seriously, the reason being that we sell a large proportion of our used vans to small business owners who depend on a commercial vehicle for their livelihood. Not only is the van financing critical for them to get their businesses off the ground, it’s critical for the economy, because if these small businesses can’t exist, they can’t contribute and continue to strengthen this fragile economic recovery.

If you need a used van for your business but are uncertain about costs, come and talk to us about van finance as an option to get your business off the ground.

We’re concerned that quite a few of our customers could be caught out by the LEZ changes as many drive into London every day for their work. The daily charge for the extended range of vehicles covered by the LEZ to be driven into the zone will be £200, and the fine is £1000 if unreported, so it makes sense to plan ahead now.

Larger vans are going to be included from January 2012, those that are 1.205 tonnes unladen, to 3.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Weight and which were registered before January 2002. So we’re talking about used Mercedes Sprinter vans and used Ford Transit vans, very commonly used by small business owners.

We’re urging anyone who has a larger used van that fits this description to buy a replacement now, as the demand for newer vans and LPG vans is only going to go up the closer we get to January 2012. And when demand goes up, so do the prices, so it could save you money to act now.

We’re delighted to report that we are recruiting again. The vehicle servicing here at the A4 Bath road site has become so popular, and our van sales department is so busy, we need two new members of staff. We’re looking for a new sales person, someone with experience in the motor sales trade would be ideal. We also need a Ford-approved servicing technician, as the vehicle servicing and testing side of the business is more popular than ever.

We’re proud to be able to make such a positive contribution to our local economy, and in line with that, we like to employ people from the local area. When it comes to the benefits of working at Anchor Vans, we pay very competitive salaries, provide our staff with a company vehicle and provide excellent opportunities for development. We’re looking for the kind of people who like to be part of a busy environment, and people who are happy to work hard and be rewarded for their efforts. If that sounds like you, get in touch!

We knew we’d all been working hard, but didn’t realise we’d broken our monthly sales record since we started trading over twenty years ago by selling 185 new and used vans in March 2011 alone!

So why have sales of used vans been so high recently?

There’s always a flurry of commercial vehicle sales towards the end of the tax year, but still, that alone doesn’t account for these figures. We think it’s actually a combination of factors; one is that small businesses which are dependent on commercial vehicles are coming to us because they know we offer great value and great service. Secondly, we’ve been working incredibly hard to expand our range of used vans and thirdly, we’ve done all we can to make sure people can find us when they are looking for a van, regardless of where they live.

So it’s cheers all round here at Anchor Vans, and maybe a drop of champagne too…

One of the advantages of having a family run business with staff who have worked here for years is that our local customers get to know us, and meet the people who service and prepare their vans in person. Our staff take a great deal of pride in their work, and our customers appreciate the care that we take with their commercial vehicles. However, ordering a used van from a website with national coverage, and to-the-door home delivery, that sense of the personal touch can be lost.

That’s why we’ve put up profiles of each of our staff, detailing what they do at each stage of the van prepping process. This means that customers as far away as Scotland can see the person who has serviced the vehicle, knows their name and a bit about what they are like.

It’s our hope this will make the service more personal, even though someone buying a used van through usedvans4sale.com hasn’t needed to leave their chair to ‘meet’ the people involved. It’s a little bit closer to the best of both worlds at least!

There are a lot of small businesses out there which have minimal budgets at start-up, and for many a commercial vehicle is a critical purchase. Anchor Trade Centre has been established as a specialised business separate to Anchor Vans, in order to cater specifically for these small businesses which need a cheap used van to get their company going.

After all, for certain small businesses, trade cannot begin – and money can’t be earned – until a commercial vehicle has been bought. For example, a painter / decorator needs a way to get all of the tools and materials to site, or a courier needs transportation for deliveries. Anchor Trade Centre offers a wide range of cheap used vans, some are used vans with no VAT for example, to help these small businesses get started. Whilst there may be higher running costs later as the used vans at the budget end of the market tend to be older, at least the business can start trading as soon as possible.

We knew we’d all been working hard, but didn’t realise we’d broken our monthly sales record since we started trading over twenty years ago by selling 185 new and used vans in March 2011 alone!

So why have sales of used vans been so high recently?

There’s always a flurry of commercial vehicle sales towards the end of the tax year, but still, that alone doesn’t account for these figures. We think it’s actually a combination of factors; one is that small businesses which are dependent on commercial vehicles are coming to us because they know we offer great value and great service. Secondly, we’ve been working incredibly hard to expand our range of used vans and thirdly, we’ve done all we can to make sure people can find us when they are looking for a van, regardless of where they live.

So it’s cheers all round here at Anchor Vans, and maybe a drop of champagne too…

St Michael’s Hospice provides care for patients with incurable and chronic illnesses and their families, both in the hospice and the local community. They provide all their services free of charge and depend on charitable donations, so we aimed to raise as much as we can!

We do several charity events a year and make frequent donations to local charities to help our community, but this one is close to our hearts. One of our members of staff has a close friend being cared for by St Michael’s Hospice and so we know just how important their work is.

We’ve spent the last two years working hard on a wide range of micro sites designed to help you find the particular van you’re looking for as quickly as possible, whether it’s a VW Transporter van kitted out for surfing or a used van made by a particular manufacturer such as Mercedes or Vauxhall. However, we’re aware that lots of people look for used vans based on local availability, rather than a specific model.

That’s where www.usedvans4sale.com comes in. The site makes it easy to find a local van, and we deliver for free. After all, what can be more local than your own front door?! You don’t even need to leave your armchair (or even change out of your pyjamas) to buy a great quality used van from us, and you’re protected by the same cast iron guarantee as the other sites: a no risk money back promise on delivery.

With the economy still struggling, we’re anticipating more demand than ever, as clubs and organisations have tended to stay in the UK for their holidays since the credit crunch, and need minibuses to facilitate group trips. Spring always brings an increase in minibus sales as it’s also the end of the financial year and companies with savvy accountants are advised to invest in assets now so that they don’t have to dip into next year’s profits.

This is why we’ve been working hard to build up an excellent stock of used minibuses ready for spring, and with our dedicated micro site at www.anchorbus.co.uk, it’s easier than ever for you to find the used minibus you need at the right price.

It seems that people have rested up over the Christmas break, had a think about their business and made key vehicle buying decisions, as we’ve been busier than ever.

In fact, the only change we’ve noticed is that more people are asking about VAT free vans. It seems it’s on their radar more than ever, probably because we’ve been working hard on that front. It’s not surprising; those vans are twenty per cent cheaper and that’s a critical saving for small businesses below the VAT threshold.

If you’re looking for a VAT free van by the way, pop over to www.vatfreevans.co.uk and give us a call!

Are you an experienced mechanic?
Our vehicle servicing department has recently expanded and we need the best mechanics in Berkshire!

If you like the sound of any of those roles, and are looking for work in an expanding business with a busy and friendly environment, you know where to find us!

Our Ford-approved servicing has been so successful that we needed to increase our capacity, and there has been increasing demand for our valeting department too, so we had the new building added to the Anchor business park. It’s enabled us to expand our servicing department too, as they’ve taken over the space that the valeting department used to use, meaning that we have more ramps and can also offer new services to our customers.

Thanks to the additional space, we now repair chipped windscreens, interior trims, bumpers, scratches to bodywork and the servicing department has also branched into tyre repair and replacement. That means you can get practically everything you need in one place, without having to worry about finding other reliable repairers for different jobs.

And the valeting department is absolutely thrilled with the new facilities, everything is brand new and the heating is fantastic, something much appreciated at the moment. Funnily enough, we were visited by some prestige car dealership owners a few days ago and they were stunned by the new facilities, so now our staff can boast that they have better facilities than prestige car valeters. It’s the little things, isn’t it?

That’s why so many people are opting for our new and used 4×4 vehicles. It’s not only to cope with this season’s snow; there’s talk of a mini ice age that means we’ll being seeing winters like this for the next few years. When your business depends on being able to get about whatever the weather, a 4×4 is the clever choice.

It’s not just the fact that 4x4s can drive in snow that brings most other vehicles to a stop. The top spec 4x4s are luxurious vehicles, with heated seats (which are the best thing since sliced bread on these bitterly cold mornings) and all the mod cons such as Bluetooth sat nav to name but one. They double up beautifully as family vehicles at the weekend after a week of being the most reliable workhorses you could hope for.

So if you’re fretting about the snow, consider making your next commercial vehicle a 4×4 – you can check out the amazing range on our dedicated 4×4 vans micro site at www.anchor4x4.co.uk. You’ll find all makes and models on there, including the bestseller of the season; the Nissan Navara.

Well, we’ve just launched another addition to our website stable; www.usedvans4sale.com and this one is geared around helping van buyers to find great value new and used vans for sale in their local area – primarily geographically based searching rather than van make and model searching.

Of course, it’s easy to narrow down the van make and model you’re looking for, we’ve just made it easier for you to find the vans you want in your local area, and then, even better, we deliver your chosen van to your front door with our unequivocal money back guarantee.

Now you can’t get more local than your own front door!

So check out www.usedvans4sale.com and find the van you need in your local area. The internet… marvellous, isn’t it?

We’re committed to giving our customers great vans at great prices, and that’s why we’re putting out the word now, so you have a chance to bring your van buying plans forwards to beat the VAT increase.

But that’s not all we’ve been doing; we’ve been scouring the country for used vans which have already had the VAT paid on them so we can pass on that saving to you. The VAT free vans listed on our dedicated micro site www.vatfreevans.co.uk are already 17.5% cheaper than any other vans available, and when the VAT rate is increased in the New Year, they’ll be 20% cheaper! But just in case your dream van isn’t amongst the VAT free listings, go and take a look www.anchorvans.co.uk so you can make the most of your chance to save some money.

We’re particularly proud of this milestone because we work so hard to provide the very best service and this demonstrates that we’re giving used van buyers exactly what they want; great service and high quality used vans at reasonable prices.

We get a lot of repeat custom; our “unequivocal money back guarantee on delivery” promise gives used van buyers the confidence to buy from us again and again and of course we’ve won the prestigious Van Retailer of the Year award two years in a row.

That award, plus the fact that low interest rates are enabling us to provide exceptional rates for van financing have also contributed to these amazing sales figures.

Out of those 20,000 vans, we’ve sold more used Ford vans than any other brand, and we’ve been so strong in that area that we branched into Ford-approved servicing provision to extend the value and service we can provide to our customers. We’ve also launched a micro site dedicated to used Ford vans at www.anchorford.co.uk for people looking specifically for used Ford vans, so if you’re looking for a high quality used Ford van pop over there and take a look.

So here’s to another fantastic 22 years – who knows how many used van sales we’ll be announcing by then!

We’re delighted to see that Volkswagen is getting the recognition it deserves by winning this award, they consistently manufacture vans of superlative quality and excellent reliability.

Whilst these are obviously qualities sought after in used VW vans, we’ve seen a particular sporting community single out Volkswagen Transporter vans as their preferred vehicle for surfing and snowboarding. They’re easy to adapt to carry surfboards, and are reliable enough to load up with a load of snowboarding gear and travel from resort to resort without breaking down. In fact, we have so many surfers coming to us for used Transporter vans that we made a special micro site dedicated to them: www.surfwheels.co.uk and it’s going down a storm.

There’s a clear correlation between the rise in popularity of surfing and snowboarding and the sales of used Volkswagen transporter vans – and we’ve not seen anything like that for any other model of used van. So congratulations to Volkswagen, keep up the good work!

Every year in the lead up to Christmas we see an increase in sales of used long wheel base vans used by couriers, it’s just started earlier than usual this year. Perhaps people are hoping for the sales to be more focused on this side of the New Year with the VAT rise coming in 2011, and so are moving stock and preparing for Christmas early. Whatever the reason, we’re certainly pleased it’s happening!

There are four used van models that tend to be used as courier vans. The first is the Ford Transit Jumbo, then there’s the Iveco long wheel base, high roof Jumbo. The Mercedes Sprinter long wheel base high roof van is a perennial favourite and the Volkswagen Crafter long wheel base high roof van is a popular one for couriers too.

These large vans can handle a lot of deliveries, are fuel efficient and reliable workhorses too. It’ll be interesting to see which one comes out as the favourite by the end of the season.

If you’re one of them, now is the time to replace your vehicle with an LPG van; we’re predicting a sharp rise in the price of LPG vans in 2011 as the new deadline approaches.

We’ve already sold a lot of LPG vans to people who need to go into the London Congestion Charge Zone. Aside from the obvious environmental benefits and cheaper fuel costs, our customers are saving up to almost £2000 a year by making that change. In fact, many of our van finance customers are effectively paying for the van with that saving.

So take a look at our LPG vans here and give us a call. And if you’ll need van financing, don’t worry, we can usually give a response in only 2 minutes!

We’ve been selling new and used vans for over twenty years now, and the Ford Transit is a perennial best seller. In fact Ford vans so popular we launched a dedicated micro site to them at www.anchorford.co.uk and now we’re expanding our Ford-approved vehicle servicing facilities with a brand new building being built right now!

The popularity of the Ford Transit van isn’t because of nostalgia, far from it; there’s no getting away from the fact that they make exceptionally reliable commercial vehicles and come in such a wide range of spec and sizes that there is always the perfect van for the job. In fact, there are over 140 configurations of the current Transit van launched in 2006.

So let’s all raise a glass (or even just a mug of strong tea) to the Ford Transit van. Happy birthday, and many happy returns!

We see average used vans price drop every year during the summer, and it’s no surprise as everyone is on holiday and simply don’t want to have to think about commercial vehicle purchases until they get back into the swing of things in September.

Well, we wanted to point this out as now is the chance for you to bag a real bargain. If you buy a used van in August, you’ll pay less than if you wait until September, when the demand shoots back up again, and the prices with it.

It couldn’t be easier too – you can find your ideal van on our website – so you could shop for your used van whilst you’re by the pool and it’s all risk free. We are so confident about the quality of our used vans that we offer a full money-back guarantee upon delivery, as well as servicing and warranty. So if you buy your used van whilst you’re on holiday, beating the crowds to the bargains, there’s nothing to worry about.

Take a look at the homepage and begin your search using our great new van criteria filters, find the perfect used van, order it, pour another cocktail and relax. See? Easy. And the wife and kiddies will never know you’ve been working…

For example, if you’re one of the many people hunting for an air conditioned used van now that summer has decided to get its act together in the UK again, you can see all of our used vans with air conditioning within two clicks from the main site homepage.

You can also narrow your search by whatever is a priority for you; perhaps you would only consider a used van with manual transmission, or you have a tight budget and want to search within a certain price range. You can also search by mileage, fuel type, colour and other features such as leather seats or electric windows.

What this all comes down to is making it as easy for you to find the van you’re looking for as quickly as possible with the minimum of fuss. Click on the big red button on our homepage to see for yourself!

Since we launched the Ford-approved servicing and repairs in 2009 it’s been a great success and the demand is such that we need to expand. Not only is that good for our customers – we’ll be able to handle an extra 45 hours of servicing time a day which means a speedy service – the expansion also means that we’ll need more Ford-approved service technicians, bringing more jobs for local people into the Reading area. Ultimately, our success is bringing skilled jobs into the local area, which is something we’re proud to be able to do for our community.

The building is going to take a few weeks (if any of you have ever had major building work done you’ll know why we’re not announcing a completion date yet!) but we’ll keep you posted. In the mean time everything else continues as normal, so if you’re in need of top quality Ford-approved servicing and repairs, you know where to come.

Charlie Joyce was six pounds, ten ounces at birth and mother and baby are doing well. Simon’s first son, Jack, was born two years ago in the same week that Anchor Vans received the Van Dealer of the Year award for the second year running.

Our family–run used van business was founded by Graham Joyce twenty years ago, with all company directors being close family. Two of Graham’s sons run the used van business with him, and there are hopes that the third generation of Joyce’s will grow up to join the business too.

Of course, we now have high hopes for both boys in the sales department but Simon says they’ll have to start by valeting used vans just like he did 18 years ago! Perhaps they’ll follow their Uncle Greg, Director of Servicing, into the servicing department. Only time will tell!

You can find the new site at www.vat-free-vans.co.uk and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes; knocking almost twenty percent of the price of a used van. These VAT free vans are ideal for sole traders and small businesses below the VAT threshold, and as a business owner has already paid the VAT on the vehicle, it means we can pass on that saving to you.

So if you have a tight budget and are looking for a real bargain, check out www.vat-free-vans.co.uk and see how much you can save. You’ll see why we’ve been working so hard to source these VAT free used vans for you!

The MOT and servicing centre at Tadley has been a great success, and it was a natural progression for us to branch out into used cars considering all of the experience we have in selling used vehicles.

We are also offering a wide range of finance packages for used cars, making it easier for you to buy the used car of your choice. Why not have a look around the next time you’re at Sainsbury’s, or waiting for your MOT at our testing centre? The great customer service and commitment to providing high quality used vehicles at reasonable prices is being applied to our used car business, as has been enjoyed by our used van customers for over twenty years, so we know you won’t be disappointed.


The site is www.anchorvauxhall.co.uk and, just like our other micro sites, it’s perfect if you have a particular van in mind for your next purchase. You can pick the Vauxhall van model straight from the homepage, making it super quick for you to find the used Vauxhall van you need, and when the new Vivaro and Movano van models come out we’ll be stocking those too.

So if you’re looking for a new or used Vauxhall van, go to the new Anchor Vauxhall site. And don’t forget, if you need to sell your current van in order to do so, pop over to www.webuyanyvans.co.uk for a lightning fast quote via your mobile phone.

Just like all of our micro sites, the Anchor 4×4 site has been designed to take you straight to the used 4x4s you want to see straight from the home page. You can go directly to our used Ford Thunder 4×4 listings for example, or straight to the used Mitsubishi Warriors. And if you aren’t sure which make of used 4×4 truck you want, we’ve provided options to search by different vehicle spec levels such as single or double cab, leather seats, climate control and electric windows.

If you’re looking for a vehicle that can cope with big loads and driving wherever you need it to in the week, but something luxurious enough to take out the family at the weekend, then one of our used 4x4s should fit the bill. And with some seating up to 5 people, you can give your mates a lift too, so you know they’ll arrive at the job on time.

If you have a used van that fits the bill, all you need to do is go to www.webuyanyvans.co.uk and put in the registration number and mileage of your used van, along with your mobile phone number. We’ll text you back with a quote and details of how to get in touch if you want to go ahead with the sale. Easy as that!

So if you’re planning to upgrade an aging used van, there couldn’t be a better time. Get in touch with us through www.webuyanyvans.co.uk now!

Whilst the snow was just as inconvenient for us as it was for everyone else, it did have a silver lining in that the sales of our 4×4 vehicles went up. It seems that people realised that if they wanted to keep going whatever the weather, a 4×4 truck was the one to choose.

These days, 4x4s are luxurious vehicles, with leather seats, air conditioning, CD players and electric windows. They’re so comfortable in fact that after a hard week of work, owners are taking them home to use as family vehicles at the weekend, and when the double cab models can seat five, there’s room for everyone.

Who knows if all that extreme weather is behind us yet, but we do know that there are several new owners of 4×4 trucks who won’t be worried about it anymore!

Incidentally, we have a theory about the high demand for Mercedes vans, and it’s all to do with the recession. Over the last eighteen months a lot of people lost their jobs and found themselves looking for work in a market that wasn’t hiring. So with the true spirit of entrepreneurialism, they’ve been setting up on their own, as couriers and “Man with a  Van” service providers. The Mercedes van has legendary reliability, and so makes a natural choice for these kinds of businesses. And good luck to them too!

Well, fast-forward less than a year and we’re delighted to announce that we are expanding! The vehicle servicing provision has really taken off and we’re working at capacity, so the plan is to add 2 new bays and 5 vehicle servicing ramps as soon as possible.

That also means that we’re on the lookout for great ford-trained service technicians. We prefer to recruit from the local area, as we like to support our local community, so if you are a ford-approved mechanic in the Reading area, or know someone who is, get in touch!

We’re delighted to have the chance to support such a great charity with this donation, and we’re certain that the promise of winning this stonking Ford Ranger will add an edge to the competition. It’s such a versatile vehicle, being able to carry up to a tonne, but still nice enough to use with the family at the weekend too. 4×4 drivers were amongst the few who weren’t bothered by the recent snowy weather too, so we’re certain that the competition will be fierce on the 9th of March. Good luck to all the players!

These prices have been caused, in the main, by the recession. Companies that run large fleets of commercial vehicles haven’t replaced their vehicles for at least a year, and there have been fewer new van sales in the private individual sector too. So now we’re in a situation where there are simply fewer used vans around, in particular those that are around one year old.

That effect is going to persist for the next couple of years. The lack of used vans that are one year old will turn into a shortage of two year old vans next year, and so on. It will be interesting to see if the reported end to the recession will improve new van sales over the coming months, so that this shortage of used vans doesn’t continue for many more years. We’ll keep you posted.

We have recruited a professional pianist to come into the workshop every Wednesday afternoon to play music for our vehicle servicing technicians as they work. Sound bizarre? A little, yes. Sound crazy? Well… it actually makes a lot of sense to us.

The workplace environment has a huge impact on staff morale, productivity and even rates of absence. Whilst Anchor Vans is a hard working but cheery place, we felt there was definitely a need for something special to carry our great service technicians through these dark winter months. Our Sales Director, Simon Joyce, temporarily brought a piano to the site to make some room at home, then he had this idea and the piano has been here ever since.

The technicians are enjoying it so much that we’re even thinking about having an open day one Wednesday afternoon so our vehicle servicing customers and the generally curious can come along and listen too. We’ll keep you posted!

This site will be very different from our used van micro sites. For starters, you’ll be able to book servicing slots easily through the site with the use of a quick and easy form, and your booking will always be confirmed by phone. But that’s not all…

We’re planning to set up some webcams in the vehicle servicing bays to provide live video streams to the site, meaning that you’ll be able to go and see how your car or used van service is progressing, in real time. It should demystify the work our ford-approved service technicians do too. We’ll let you know as soon as it has been launched.

Times are still tough for lots of our customers, so it makes sense to come and buy the used van they’ve had their eye on now, whilst there is a tasty tax exemption. Will we be seeing you too?

Sales of our used VW Transporter vans have been high over the last couple of months as everyone is waiting for the new model to be released by the manufacturer next year. This high demand, and the fact that surfers know exactly what they want, led us to launch the new site to make it even easier to find our used Transporter vans.

It’s no surprise that the surfing community loves the Volkswagen Transporter vans as much as we do; they’re roomy, reliable and just the right size for those surfboards on the roof and all the beach gear inside. So if you’re getting everything sorted for surfing, www.surfwheels.co.uk is the place to go (dude!).

We’ve launched a new website that is simply the easiest and fastest way to obtain a quote for your used van: www.webuyanyvans.co.uk. All you have to do is pop the vehicle registration number, the mileage and your mobile phone number straight into the site home page and we’ll text you the quoted value of your vehicle. No need to type in your name, your address, date of birth, years owning the vehicle, how many cats or dogs you own, no. Just those three things and we’ll get you’re the information you need within minutes.

If you like the quote and want to proceed, all of our contact details are at the end of the text. That’s it; nice and simple, with no harassment from a hungry used van salesman who has sniffed out a potential vehicle to buy. We respect your privacy and your ability to get in touch if you decide you want to sell. So, if you want to find out how much that used van outside your door is worth, go to www.webuyanyvans.co.uk and get your quote with the absolute minimum of fuss. Life’s too short for long web forms!

The location is perfect for busy Tadley residents; if you’re in need of an MOT you can leave the vehicle at the centre and pop next door to Sainsbury’s whilst the work is being carried out. By the time you’ve finished your weekly shop, the MOT will have been completed and your car ready to pick up.

Aside from the ‘MOTs while-you-shop’ benefit, we’re pleased to see that our old premises are serving the local community again since we moved to our new complex on the A4. In line with our policy to support the community, the new MOT centre in Tadley is providing jobs for locals and boosting the local economy, as well as offering convenience.

It makes a lot of sense in times when businesses are looking for ways to save money. An LPG van can do that on two counts; a reduced need for petrol – and considering how prices have been creeping back up again lately, that’s a big advantage. The second is a big advantage for businesses who operate in and around Central London, in particular those who make deliveries to locations within the congestion charge zone. Petrol LPG vans with low emissions are exempt from the charge, saving a business £8 a day! If a business is making deliveries every day, switching to a petrol LPG van saves a whopping £2080 a year – easily covering the cost of leasing the vehicle.

We’d like to say that people are buying the used petrol LPG vans for environmental reasons, but whilst we think that’s a bonus, it looks like it’s the financial benefits that are winning people over. If you have a business that spends £40 a week on the London congestion charge, why not give us a call and talk to us about switching to petrol LPG too.

This new position is the sixth one created this year – not bad considering we’re in the worst recession since the 1930′s. Between a tightening of the used vehicle supply lines, the government scrappage scheme and the need for companies to save money on their commercial vehicle purchases, our used van sales have never been better. We’re breaking our sales records every month, and need a dynamic individual to join the sales team who is able to meet the expectation of selling twenty to thirty used vans a month.

We’re recruiting from the Reading area again, as we’re keen to support the local community, especially when there are so many other industries that are laying off staff. So if you have a great background in motor trade sales, have tonnes of energy and are passionate about excellent customer service, give us a call!

As our customers know, we stock a huge range of used vans, and we’re keen to keep expanding our range, without making customers do the extra work to focus in on what they want. The great thing about the used Ford vans micro site is that we can hone in on exactly what you’re looking for right from the home page. You’ll see nice big buttons taking straight to the used Ford Transit vans and used Ford Connect vans for example, designed to cut out a few clicks straight away.

Here at Anchor Vans we pride ourselves on great service, and this is just another way of delivering it. Now that we can showcase used Ford vans so directly, we’ll be expanding our range. That includes offering more niche vehicles, like the fully kitted out used Ford workshop van we have in at the moment. So if you’re set on a Ford and nothing else will do, head on over to www.anchorford.co.uk to get straight to the great value used vans you’ve come to expect from us.

So who are these five lucky souls? Well, two are our new Ford trained service technicians, already doing a fantastic job in our Ford approved repairs and servicing workshop. We’ve also found a great sales administrator, leaving two positions vacant; a sales executive and a service administrator. That brings us to the total of five.

We are all too aware of how tough it is out there at the moment, hence our delight at being able to support the local community by generating jobs that local people need so much in the current climate. We work incredibly hard, but it goes to show that we must be doing something right to be in the position we are now despite the economic conditions. Great service, great value and a great range of used vans = expansion in a recession. Simple really…

We’re keen to give a great service to our local community, and that’s why we’re going to adapt the old site; it’s next door to Sainsbury’s, so what better place to offer an MOT while-you-wait service? We know how busy everyone is, and how it can be inconvenient for some to book an MOT and have to leave the car or van somewhere when there are other things to do. If you can get the groceries whilst the MOT is being done, it makes life so much easier.

There’s a lot to do in bringing the old site up to the standard it needs to be in – things have moved on a lot since we were there – but we’ll keep you posted.

In our line of work we speak to lots of people looking for new and used minibuses, and it became clear to us that our main used vans website isn’t tailored to minibus buyers as well as it is for people looking for used vans. The new Anchor minibus ‘microsite’ has a specific search feature designed to help minibus buyers search under minibus criteria quickly and easily, without the need to look at any used vans at all.

The new site also means that we’ll be growing and diversifying our used minibus stock as we now have a better way of showcasing minibuses than we ever have before. So, if you’re looking for a new or used minibus, head over to www.anchorbus.co.uk and have a look – it’s made just for you.

Since getting the initial approval from Ford at the beginning of the year, we’ve been working hard at getting everything in place – from the Ford signage to the recruitment of our excellent Ford-trained service technicians. Now we’re delighted to report that not only has the new Ford authorised service been launched, we’ve already carried out our first official Ford warranty!

It’s smiles all round here at the site as we feel this has really put us on the map. The response has been fantastic, with lots of bookings and an increased amount of passing trade. It’s no surprise to us; we knew there was a shortage of Ford service agents in the area as we used to have to wait two weeks to get a warranty done on the vans we prepare for sale. No more; now we can turn that around in a day and still have time for a cup of tea. So if you need your Ford service or warranty sorted out in less time than a whole fortnight, you know where to come!

That way you don’t have to worry about missing the boat (or the van, so to speak) and if any other used vans catch your eye, you know where to come. And don’t worry, we won’t be tweeting about what we had for breakfast, or what the weather’s like, so you won’t have to wade through all that to get to what you want (and what we sell best): used vans.

Now we know it was one of the best decisions we made. We have 13 bays in the commercial vehicle servicing department and they are all constantly in use – and that is a great thing to write! The MOT service has proven so popular that we’ve opened up a second dedicated MOT bay for the increasing number of car, van and minibus MOTs.

Anchor Vans is rapidly gaining a sterling reputation for its commercial vehicle servicing as well as its used van prices, and we’re pleased as punch. Several major vehicle leasing companies have vehicle servicing contracts with us now, and we’ve recently recruited a new Ford-trained service technician. It’s like Christmas has arrived in June!

The 17 seater used minibuses are selling particularly well, and the 9 seater used minibuses remain popular too. We’ve had a few days of sunshine, so of course the air conditioned minibuses are more popular.

It seems that the press were right when they predicted less people would be flying abroad for holidays this summer, as the holiday companies are keen to get the minibuses for the UK tours and events. It’s also the time of year when schools do a lot of their outdoor trips, and those still seem to be going strong despite all of the doom and gloom. Good to see that the world is still turning, and people are still buying used minibuses!

It’s no lie to say that we’re all smiles here – more than that, we are positively laughing in the face of adversity. It goes to show that the credit crunch has been a tough time for a lot of people, but not universally terrible as the news would have us all believe. We’ve worked incredibly hard for this result, but at the end of the day, it comes down to a few core factors…

We’ve continued to market our used vans online through our award-winning used vans website, and we pride ourselves on the quality of our customer service. Then there’s the money back guarantee and free delivery of used vans within a 150 mile radius. But what it really comes down to is the simple fact that the used vans we sell are of exceptionally high quality, at excellent prices. We get a lot of repeat business, and a lot of referred business, and that just wouldn’t happen if the used vans we sell weren’t up to scratch.

This is great news – we’re more than aware of how many small and medium size businesses depend on commercial vehicles, and how badly the unavailability of credit has affected them.

This isn’t just a gut feeling either; there are hard facts. Looking back over our records, we’ve noticed that the percentage of van finance applications accepted in the last couple of months is significantly higher than during November and December 2008 and January 2009. The amount required for the vehicle financing deposit is lower than a few months ago and the applicant’s credit rating no longer has to be absolutely perfect.

So if the lack of available credit has been a problem for you, this may be the time to start looking at your commercial vehicle options again. We can give you a quick quote for vehicle financing in only 2 minutes.

Quite a few couriers have been buying the large 4 metre used vans – big enough to carry lots of deliveries. We’ve helped a few mobile mechanics too, who also favour the large vans like the Mercedes Sprinter, The Ford Transit and the Iveco Jumbo.

We’ve heard about this new wave of British entrepreneurialism from a few sources lately; from the news, from small business advisors and the personal anecdotes of the people buying these large used vans. Perhaps it’s the popularity of TV programs like The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den, perhaps it’s simply that people are starting to realise that being totally dependent on one company’s success is no longer as safe as it used to be. Whatever the reason though, we’re delighted that our used vans can play a part in these exciting times. It’s great when we wave off another happy used van customer knowing that they’re off to forge a path for themselves, instead of depending on a fickle employment market. Good for them!

The new offices are fantastic – all 12,000 square feet of them. It’s been quite a build up to this, but the benefits are clear.

The recession is bringing bad news to a lot of people, and if the newspapers and TV are to be believed, there isn’t a lot of good news out there. Well, we beg to differ. Our used van business is thriving and we are adding staff to our team instead of laying them off (we’re actively recruiting Ford approved service technicians for one thing). With the opening of this new office and vehicle workshop complex, times are good, both for us, and our used van customers.

This is a great addition to our credentials, not only because it strengthens our vehicle servicing offering, but it also means that we are actively recruiting Ford trained service technicians in the Reading area. Bringing jobs into the local community is important to use, and it’s great to be able to do this at the moment when every one thinks that it’s all doom and gloom in the automotive industry.

So what does being a Ford approved service agent actually mean? Well, we had to demonstrate high levels of technical ability, excellent vehicle workshop conditions and the ability to provide service of such a high standard that Ford is willing to endorse us. And it means that we have a shiny new sign outside with “Ford Approved” in great big letters on it.

We’re proud to be Ford approved, and we’re proud to be one of the Berkshire businesses thriving in the recession. Here’s to the growing Ford approved Anchor Vans technician team!

1: The exchange rate is not in our favour. The pound is weaker against the Euro than it’s even been, and therefore the production costs of new vans manufactured on the continent are higher.
2: There’s been sharp rise in metal prices over the last year, with the basic raw materials costing more, that cost is only passed onto a new van’s retail price.
3: New number plate registrations were released on March 1st, hence the timing of this price rise.

These factors all relate to new vans, and as we deal primarily in used vans, you might wonder what this has got to do with used van prices. Well, in any used vehicle sector, when the prices of the new models go up, people think twice about buying new. Demand for used vans increases and a shortage of stock forces prices to rise. So with all of these factors pushing up the new van prices, the knock-on effect for used van buyers is an inevitably higher price.

What does this mean for businesses dependent on using vans? Well, you’d expect us to say this, but it’s obviously more economical to go for a used van if you are looking to purchase one for your livelihood. Even though used van prices in general are going up, we always have some great deals and finance schemes available.

Just in case you hadn’t heard, we won the Motor Trader “Van Dealer of the Year Award” for our high standards and in recognition of the huge commitment we have made to Light Commercial Vehicle Retailing. But enough of us blowing our own trumpet! Why not try us out for yourself?