How often have you seen a van having new tyres fitted at a Kwik-Fit outlet? – not too often. Well, that is about to change as Kwik-Fit believe there is a huge market for their services.

They are to increase the tyre fitting and mechanical services they currently provide to van fleet owners. The number of LCV’s is expected to expand as the Internet shopping boom continues to rise resulting in more home-delivery vans on the road. Kwik-Fit believe that they can increase their market share by making available a range of budget, mini and premium priced tyres that would be able to be fitted to 80 per cent of the LCV sector.

Kwik-Fit is to install specialised LCV equipment and provide further staff training in its 800 centres around the UK.

They claim that they can accommodate a range of vehicles from car-derived vans to long-wheel based high-roofed vans.

There will be a number of additional tools required to deal with this commercial business such as tyre cages, wheel clocks, extension bars, five-tonne axle stands and six-tonne trolley jacks.

Neil Kidd who is the business development manager at Kwik-Fit Fleet for MOT, repair and service maintenance stated: “We will ensure centres are fully stocked with an expanded tyre choice and that staff have access to the very latest technical information so they have the capability to work on all types of vans.”

The Department of Transport believe that, since 2000, the van market has risen to 3.25 million that is an increase of 1 million vans. Kwik-Fit obviously wish to capture as much of that market as possible.

Kwik-Fit estimates that not far off half those vans are operated by private and public sector fleets and the remainder owned privately by small businesses and sole traders.

Kidd added: “There is a major opportunity for Kwik-Fit Fleet to capitalise on the growing market.”

Perhaps Kwik-Fit can also see an opportunity to increase their market share of cheap van insurance?