GRITIT provides seasonal gritting and maintenance services, protecting customers against the physical and financial risks of adverse weather. GRITIT staff spend the warmer months planning for the cold snap, which includes making sure equipment is ready at short notice.

Ford vehicles have been exclusively used by GRITIT since 2009. The company has bought 40 of the all-new Ford Ranger pick-up trucks this year, in addition to 30 previous-model Rangers in 2011. GRITIT also operates more than 70 Ford Transit and chassis cab vehicles.

Nikki Singh-Barmi, GRITIT’s managing director, commented: 'Ford’s vehicles provide excellent reliability which is essential for our business. GRITIT operators visit retail, commercial, industrial, logistics, and health sector premises, demanding the upmost in versatility. Ford’s highly manoeuvrable, four-wheel drive Ranger provides exactly what we need.

'We expect excellence from our operators so we give them the best equipment on the market. We’re constantly monitoring the competition but nothing competes with Ford and the excellent aftersales support we get,' he added.

In an average winter GRITIT will provide more than 100,000 service visits across the UK from its 92 depots.