From fleet management to leasing and back to fleet management

Graham Short is a City & Guilds-trained vehicle technician with IMI and IRTE qualifications. He worked in the family haulage business before joining General Domestic Appliances (now Indesit) in 1998 as a fleet administrator. The-then car fleet manager took early retirement so Short was asked to ‘hold the fort’ – which he did for 12 years.

When Indesit outsourced car fleet management, he took up a new challenge as remarketing manager with leasing company Activa.  Short says it gave him the chance to learn more about “the other side” (contract hire) and to work with some very knowledgeable people, but the role itself “was not for me”.  

When he was contacted by a recruitment agency looking for a fleet and property manager for Evander Glazing and Locks, he moved back into fleet management. He joined Anglian Home Improvements in February this year after a chance conversation with the head of transport. “It was a great opportunity for me - a larger fleet within a well-known organisation and a chance to get back solely to fleet,” Short says. He has been chairman for the East Anglia region of ACFO since 2006.

Top lessons working at Indesit: Don’t assume that just because someone has a licence to drive, they know anything about cars (tyre pressures etc.). Cars are highly emotive and people will change jobs on the same salary just to get a better car. Finally, remember that a car is a piece of metal – don’t become attached to it!

Skills a fleet manager needs: Ideally, knowledge of basic car mechanics. Add in HR, finance, procurement, health and safety, road traffic law, patience and empathy and you’re getting close.  

Was it difficult switching to the supplier side?  It took time to become accustomed to looking at things from a different perspective, but without a doubt my fleet manager background helped me to understand the needs of the customer.

Top lessons learned at a leasing company: The customer is always right, I’m better at buying than selling and don’t try to sell a soft-top in the winter!  

Skills needed at a leasing company:  Customer service, industry knowledge and knowledge of your client’s business.

Typical week at Activa: My role involved the disposal and remarketing of end-of-contract vehicles. It was pretty full-on, culminating in the weekly sale at the auction house. I was able to watch the auction by webcam, but visiting usually seemed to result in the auctioneers working harder. I was also involved in helping resolve ‘problem’ vehicles (and problem dealers!).

Top lessons at Evander: Having a dual role reaffirmed my belief that a fleet role deserves 100% focus. The risks involved in running vehicles are far greater than in most other areas of any business and should not be underestimated. Being involved with the property/facilities side made me realise that people are much more temperamental than cars.

Typical week at Evander: Every day was different. Being responsible for 20 properties as well as 320 vehicles, you just don’t know what that first phone call of the day will bring – a blocked drain, a leaking roof, a flat tyre – whatever processes are in place to support the business, so many people will still call in-house first.     
 
Typical week at Anglian Home Improvements: Similar to my previous fleet roles, but more at the sharp end in terms of keeping vehicles on the road. Anglian has its own garage so we’re able to carry out much of our own servicing and repair work. We are responsible for more of our fleet as it’s not with a leasing company. We also liaise with our insurers to manage road traffic incidents.   

Best thing about being in fleet management: If you like cars and you like people then it’s an ideal job. Today’s fleet car is tomorrow’s retail car, so to be part of shaping the future motoring world by selecting safe, environmentally-friendly cars is quite satisfying. I love the day-to-day contact with the drivers too.

And the worst: I genuinely can’t think of anything really bad but I find it hard to tolerate people who are disrespectful to what is a real privilege – a company car.
Sadly, we still experience the abuse of this privilege in so many ways.
 
Advice for fleet managers considering a move to a leasing company: Being in the position of knowing what the customer wants would be an asset for any leasing company. The challenges are quite different, but the opportunities are probably greater, so don’t be afraid.

Best way for a fleet manager to progress their career: An open mind is a must – it’s one of the fastest-moving industries I know and it’s important to keep your finger on the pulse. Also, take advantage of the numerous seminars and workshops available and, of course, join ACFO.