CAMELOT, the National Lottery operator, turned out to be the winner when Dial 'handed over' a cheque for £58,520. It represented the total savings on its 250-vehicle fleet since the vehicle finance and management service company was awarded the solus contract in 1994.

Initiatives such as 'best price' negotiations with manufacturers, use of preferred suppliers for maintenance and use of Dial Accident Management to improve driver care are cited among factors in achieving the savings - made when Camelot relinquished management of its fleet, used principally by lottery machine service and installation engineers.

The agreement has also enabled Camelot's fleet mileage to be pooled. Dial adds up the total mileage of vehicles on their return and will make an additional charge if the average for all of them is above the set contract rate and gives a rebate if the total figure is lower. Martin Attfield, Camelot's purchasing manager, said: 'As a new company, we had no idea what business mileage our fleet would clock up or what contract terms would be the best for us. With Dial's flexible approach, any risk was eliminated.'