Fleet procurement - Page 8

Mitchells and Butlers has outsourced the management of its 550-strong car fleet to Fleet Operations.

Pump discounts and network coverage are key fleet considerations in £6.5bn market

Ford is to supply 1,100 vehicles to UK police fleets from this year as part of wins in two group buying tenders.

28 UK Police forces have signed a procurement deal for the supply of more than 3,000 police vehicles over the next two years.

Card providers are becoming 'mobility service providers', offering a range of additional benefits to customers, as Ben Rooth discovers

Leasing companies are often accused of using end-of-contract damage charges as a ‘profit centre’. Not so, say the UK’s three largest leasing companies. Andrew Ryan compares answers to fleets' key concerns

Don’t be a loser when it comes to excess mileage and early-termination charges – our FAQs will make you a winner, says Andrew Ryan

Fleets face flurry of fines after toll booths removed. John Charles reports

Leasing companies usually base end-of-contract charge decisions on the BVRLA’s guide, but interpretations can differ. Andrew Ryan looks at areas where fleets may fall foul of the standards – and incur a heavy toll

John Charles examines the different forms of parking and speeding fines and what actions fleets can take against them

Companies could save up to 10% of their total cost of ownership (TCO) by outsourcing the management of their fleet, according to Fleet Logistics.

Employer-provided petrol and diesel for private use may appear a flaw-free benefit to drivers, but it can be costly to both parties, finds John Charles

Vehicle tracking and route planning, switching from diesel and choosing the right vehicles could save fleets tonnes of CO2 and millions of pounds.

Increased demands from growing LCV fleets have forced manufacturers, leasing companies and independents to up their game on service, maintenance and repair

Clarity of communication needs to be at the forefront if you want a solid long-term relationship with suppliers, finds John Maslen

A growing number of fleets are assessing the potential to save thousands of pounds by downsizing their vans.

A desire to professionalise the running of their fleets has led more companies to look at implementing an outsourced fleet management solution.

Balfour Beatty, the global infrastructure services group, has awarded Lex Autolease a contract worth more than £100 million to manage its UK company car and light commercial vehicle fleet.

Euro6 emissions regulations will see all car and van manufacturers introduce super-clean diesel engines. But how are they achieving the new standards and what will it mean for fleet operators? Sarah Tooze reports.

Teva UK, one of the UK’s largest pharmaceutical companies, has appointed fleet management provider CLM to manage its fleet of 185 cars, improve driver support, cut costs and reduce its corporate carbon footprint.

Industrial Cleaning Equipment (ICE) has outsourced the management of its light commercial vehicle and car fleet to IFC Fleet Services.

The challenges of getting public sector outsourcing deals right has been highlighted after a local authority chief executive was suspended in a row over a deal to outsource its fleet services.

Diesel accounts for almost 50% of a vehicle's running costs, but bills can easily be cut.

Topic: Vehicle procurement options: how do you decide which cars and vans to choose for the business. What are your priorities? What role do wholelife costs play? How much consideration is given to aftersales – maintenance and quality of dealer network?

Fleet200 met for another of its regular Round Tables at the Company Car in Action event at Millbrook Proving Ground.

True fleet sales in the first quarter of 2013 have remained broadly flat year-on-year, following the trend set during much of last year.

Leasing companies place more than a quarter of their SMR business with independent companies rather than franchised dealers, new research has shown.

Business confidence is rising among leasing companies as profitability improves and growth expectations increase in response to stronger fleet customer demand.

Leasing companies have praised manufacturers for their efforts to improve relationships with the industry in the past year – and they have set out four priority areas to improve levels of support still further in future.

Nearly a quarter of fleets say they are currently reviewing their fuel card supplier, according to the Fleet Barometer.

Fleets have been venting their fury or singing suppliers’ praises as they review their best and worst recent experiences with manufacturers and leasing companies in the past month.

Drivers are increasingly moving away from cash allowances and back into company cars, according to fleet operators.

Growing business confidence could lead to an increase in spending among fleets in the next six months, but many are looking to reduce the number of suppliers they use, an exclusive industry survey for Fleet Leasing has revealed.

A fleet drive to reduce CO2 emissions is creating opportunities for revenue growth among leasing companies.

Leasing companies and manufacturers have been generally talking up the fleet sector, suggesting that many companies have returned to traditional buying patterns and are replacing their ageing cars and vans.

Ford topped the fleet registrations table last year with 157,269 units, followed by Vauxhall (136,819) and Volkswagen (101,788) – the only three manufacturers to hit six figures.

Fleet finance and vehicle leasing have experienced some turbulent times. After the banking crisis of 2007/8, the market underwent some funding trauma as the number of available lenders shrunk dramatically and the cost of funding rose significantly.

Fleet managers have set out some of the key attributes they look for in a leasing company.

Business analysts often warn that a company which stands still is effectively going backwards, so even in the harshest economic conditions, growth must be a key priority.

Ross Jackson, chief executive of Fleet Operations, explains why if outsourcing is to succeed organisations must still retain some fleet expertise.