Delivering on the DKV Mobility promise of “You Drive, We Care” means combining our top-notch offerings with excellent customer service so that our customers can focus on doing what they do best. For UK-based company Vans for Bands Limited, this means transporting live musicians, athletes, and entertainers all across Europe.

Since its inception in 2006, Vans for Bands Limited has grown into the largest passenger transport supplier for the live music industry in the United Kingdom. With an unwavering dedication to reliability and convenience, the company 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 10+ years to provide the products and solutions that make this special fleet not only operational, but also a leader in customer experience. Vans for Bands Limited first utilized the DKV Europe Card to allow drivers to fuel up conveniently all over Europe, and has since added toll services, refund services, and vehicle services to their operations.

“Speaking Cargo” Presents Unique Challenges

Unlike cargo fleets, the Vans for Bands Limited fleet carries “cargo that talks back to us” as Tarrant puts it. Naturally, this creates singular challenges for the company. According to Tarrant, these challenges are similar to what you’d find 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 the logistic 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.”

DKV Mobility services remove worries that Vans for Bands Limited drivers might have on the road. Tarrant believes that DKV Mobility’s large 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.

Industry-Leading Service Supports Industry-Leading Service

Becoming one of Europe’s largest passenger transport suppliers in the live music industry didn’t come easy to Tarrant or Vans for Bands. The services that Vans for Bands Limited provides are a complex mix of customer service and logistics. In the background, legislative and logistic realities add further complications. DKV Mobility is proud to know that our industry-leading customer service has helped support Vans for Bands on their mission of delivering their own industry-leading service.

Tarrant feels that the partnership with DKV Mobility is “like oil in an engine.” He continues, “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.”

A Focus on Speedy Solutions

Additionally, Vans for Bands Limited relies on the reliable, quick problem-solving abilities of their DKV Account Manager, Jessica Hill. The company greatly appreciates Jessica’s constant support over the past 4+ years. “What DKV Mobility does for us is quite complex,” Tarrant explains, “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 Limited. “It’s such a lovely family company,” Jessica says. “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.”

Looking Towards the Future

As Tarrant and Vans for Bands Limited 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 Limited 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?” says Tarrant. In the meantime, they are 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 says. “That would be our preference.”