The road less travelled
Page 49
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Webwatch pays Commercial Vehicle Solutions' unique website a visit this week.
Words: James le' Company: Commercial Vehicle Setutions (CVS! Address: www.commercialveNcLerental.s.cauk
Home
You might expect a company that has its own fleet management tool to have a cutting-edge website and Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) doesn't disappoint.
It is obvious this site offers a different kind of experience from the norm.
Opening the homepage for the first time, for example, launches a short video introduction from MD Martin Collins (although this can be disabled using the 'Introduction on/off' button under the search box).
Another point of difference is that the CVS website replaces the usual navigation bar along the top of the page with two columns of buttons. The one on the left is used to access CVS services, such as vehicle sales and fleet management, and the one on the right contains links to other industry-related sites including the Road Haulage Association and Freight Best Practice. You will also find a link to Roadtransport.com by clicking on the 'News' button.
This use of icons makes the hornepage seem uncluttered and stylish, but 'it is sometimes difficult to guess where each icon will take you until you either click on it or hover over it to get the tooltib text. As a result, users may need a little more time than usual to familiarise themselves with the site, despite its initial simplicity.
Product search
Clicking on the 'Vehicle Sales icon launches a separate website, (hftp://q2trucks.com). Here the information on used trucks is presented as a flip-book or 'virtual magazine' click and drag the corners of the pages to flick through, and double-click anywhere on the 'magazine' itself to zoom in.
At the bottom of the screen, you'll find icons allowing you to print the magazine or download it as a POE Although Webwatch is impressed to see this technology being used on a used truck site, the magazine itself is only 13 pages long and three of those are marked 'coming soon' so the amount of stock
c) available is limited. There is no search function for th( (11 digital magazine, so you'll have to browse.
• For the stock that is listed, though, plenty of details (15) are given, including make and model, mileage, ▪ and spec. Not only is the price shown, but it is also ' broken down into initial deposit followed by monthly
6) or weekly repayments. Four photos are given for each truck, taken from a variety of angles.
At the time of writing, vehicles for sale ranged from a 2003 Mercedes-Benz Atego 815 for £5,750 to a 2007 (57-plate) OAF CF65-220 for £35,000 (both ex-VAT),
Other as
There is nothing else to see on the used truck site, but back on the man website, you will find other pages, including a portal to CVS Live, the firm's online fleet management tool: details on other services, such as compliance and support and contact details.
Conclusion
The main CVS site and the q2trucks.com used truck site are innovative, but less web-savvy users might need time to adjust. •