SMR - Page 8

Rising living costs could jeopardise the safety of grey fleet vehicles as one in five drivers say they will cut back on car maintenance if bills soar.

British Gas trial shows how decrease in vehicle downtime results in wholelife cost benefits.

Company car use could increase this winter as more employees return to offices to avoid soaring energy costs.

Fleet Assist is offering companies affected by the closure access to services to help them keep their vehicles and drivers on the road in the coming weeks.

Alphabet has extended its service, maintenance and repair (SMR) partnership with Fleet Assist for a further five years.

Warrantywise has revealed the least reliable used car makes and models in the UK in its annual reliability index.

The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has named the winners of its annual British Independent Garage (BIG) of the Year Awards 2022.

Pressure will mount on fleets to contain costs with US bank Citi warning inflation could peak 18% at the start of next year.

The switch to electric vehicles, decreased immigration and the pandemic are fuelling an escalating skills crisis, according to a new report from the IMI.

Marshall Truck & Van has invested £1 million to improve the facilities offered by its Andover dealership.

ATS Euromaster has seen the requirement for its mobile tyre service increase over the last two years.

Increased labour rates, long lead times for new vehicles and pressure on autumn MOT slots risks escalating SMR costs, says Venson Automotive Solutions.

The average transaction value of a service for an EV is currently about 22% less than an equivalent internal combustion engine car, new data suggests.

Fleets are being given greater control over where their cars and vans are sent for SMR with new technology being introduced by Epyx this month.

The upgraded online service booking portal features connected car functionality and proactive alerts to provide real-time service SMR notifications.

Fleets managers are being urged to monitor their grey fleets more closely for evidence of up-to-date servicing.

Tyre costs are increasing at an unprecedented rate for fleets, placing additional strain on already stretched SMR budgets, warns the i247 Group.

Days Fleet has extended its contract with Fleet Assist, for the provision of SMR services, until 2026.

Fleets could face delays with a surge in the number of vehicles due an MOT looming, according to data obtained from the DVSA by BookMyGarage.com.

With vehicle fleet operators dealing with significant delays for parts, Synetiq is suggesting green parts could provide the answer.

New data, based on hundreds of thousands of 'spot' checks carried out by Total Motion suggests that grey fleet work-related road risk is on the increase.

Simon Hill, director at Total Motion, explains why vehicles require regular safety checks with data suggesting grey fleet work-related road risk is on the increase.

GSF Car Parts has completed the total rebrand of its estate and rolled out standardised opening hours across its branch network.

The ATS Euromaster network of tyre and maintenance centres has been upskilled to ensure technicians can work on both hybrid and electric vehicles safely.

Autoglass has opened four new centres in response to an increasing demand for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) recalibration services.

Zipcar has appointed Mobile Mechanic, a new service from Dropless, to maintain its fleet of car sharing vehicles.

The number of electric vehicle (EV) trained technicians has increased 4.5% since 2020 but is not enough to bridge the gap before 2030, warns the IMI.

Pressure on fleet costs is being felt across a wide range of areas, including fuel, vehicle acquisition, insurance and service, maintenance and repair (SMR).

ATS Euromaster says that identifying potential maintenance issues in advance is becoming an increasingly critical for “cost-effective fleet management”.

FleetCheck’s vehicle inspection app will receive two upgrades providing “practical and effective improvements” for fleets and their drivers.

Demand for MOT tests is expected to fall by more than a third during April and May, as a result of the six-month MOT extension granted in 2020.

A new online AI system that provides an instant decision on whether a windscreen can be repaired, has been launched on the National Windscreens website.

Penny Stoolman has been appointed managing director of Prestige Fleet Servicing (Prestige), which is part of the AA.

Automotive vacancies are at their highest level for 20 years – at more than 23,000 - accounting for approximately 4% of the workforce, new research suggests.

The latest news from the fleet industry, including the Arval’s tree-planting initiative and a solar-powered welfare van.

The servicing and maintenance of fleet vehicles is unlikely to be immediately impacted, but Fleet Assist is warning cost rises are on the horizon.

Fleet managers should use the post-pandemic period to ensure vehicles remain fit for purpose - particularly those on extended lifecycles, says ATS Euromaster.

The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA)’s Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation scheme has reached more than 300 approved dealers in the UK.

ATS Euromaster reports that service maintenance and repair (SMR) budgets are coming under pressure as fleets are forced to run vehicles for longer.

Three quarters (73%) of drivers say they avoid driving on the hard shoulder of a smart motorway, a new study from Kwik Fit reveals.