FN: You’ve talked about managing claims in-house, but what are the advantages of in-house maintenance?

DC: It allows us the flexibility to service our vehicles with the minimum downtime and impact on operations and drivers.

We have our main workshops in Dunstable for both bodywork and mechanical repairs, but we also operate seven mobile support units for on site maintenance.

We also hold warranty status with Ford and all our mechanics have retrained with the manufacturer during the past two to three years.

With regular visits to our depots by mobile mechanics, minor defects can also be repaired in a timely, cost efficient manner.

Key to managing any van fleet is maximising vehicle utilisation and we have the added advantage of control in terms of cost and quality of work.

FN: How are you addressing environmental pressures?

DC: Vehicle choice has enabled us to drive down emissions of our car fleet so that now more than 90% of vehicles are sub-120g/km.

However, we feel the best and most effective way to reduce emissions is through driver training. We believe the driver is the core element in reducing our impact on the environment by cutting fuel consumption.

Our assessors have been instructing drivers on eco-driving, including vehicle loading, appropriate use of speed, reading the road and clutch and gear control.

We also monitor and hold records of all V5s, insurance, road fund licences and MOTs for all our grey fleet and since June 2010, any vehicles added or replaced are limited to 160g/km.

FN: You employ a parking manager – how does that work and has it saved the company any money?

DC: We have a full-time parking manager who provides advice on any parking-related issues, including where exactly drivers can park, especially when they’re working in London.

When tickets are issued, if there are grounds for an appeal he will also manage that process. In 2009, more than £57,000-worth of PCNs were cancelled on behalf of drivers.

Even if an appeal proves unsuccessful, if a driver has followed our procedures there is no financial penalty levied against them.

Innovation and smarter working continue to play a pivotal role in the business.

Key performance indicators allow Kelly to measure success, while strong management pushes home the main messages to maintain its admirable results.

“We constantly look at what other fleets are doing and take part in industry initiatives in order to learn more and compare ourselves with other fleets,” says Coughlan.

Consequently, the company has started to share its best practice knowledge by providing fleet management services to other businesses. As a result, it recently announced a change of name to Kelly Fleet Services.

“So far we are managing in excess of 400 vehicles for four companies and are carrying out maintenance for more than 10 fleet customers,” says Coughlan.

“It’s something we’re very proud of and we hope to develop in the years to come.”