Douglas Communications has saved in excess of £1,000 per month by working with Northgate Vehicle Hire to reduce downtime.

The telecommunications company, which operates in the North West and North East of England, has hired with Northgate for more than 10 years and increased its rental fleet to 16 vehicles, bringing the total fleet to 46 vehicles.

With an aging owned fleet, Douglas Communications’ service costs had risen significantly in recent years.

Northgate’s service, maintenance and repair offering has delivered a 100% reduction in downtime for the telecommunications company, resulting in an estimated total saving of around £15,000 annually.

Brian Fairhurst, logistics manager at Douglas Communications, said: “Historically at Douglas Communications, we have used a number of local garages to carry out our SMR work. However, with a sizeable aging fleet, maintenance and repair requirements have been more frequent and expensive, with downtime alone equating to around £500 per day.

“Working with Northgate has given Douglas Communications the use of quick, reliable and professional workshops across the UK. More importantly, we are able to access workshop facilities outside of trading hours from the Bolton branch, with the convenience of accessing replacement vehicles whilst SMR work is carried out. This keeps downtime to a minimum allowing us to operate more efficiently.”

Jane Forshaw, business development manager at Northgate Vehicle Hire, said: “Our partnership with Douglas Communications is a great example of how Northgate can work with companies and complement their existing fleet requirements.

"Benefits such as the ability to access replacement vehicles while service work is carried out are essential for companies where every vehicle is vital and staying on the road is critical. With our newly piloted out of hours servicing, the telecommunications company has seen an astonishing drop in its vehicle downtime. Benefits like this come standard as part of the flexible vehicle hire offering and help businesses stay on the road for longer.”