THIS year’s Hit for Six Conference will see the official launch of a major new initiative designed to set an industry benchmark for industry suppliers.

The final version of the Charter for Fleet Suppliers will set out a range of key standards fleets wish their suppliers to meet.

The Charter, based on comments from fleet decision-makers about the service they wish to receive from industry suppliers, covers 13 key points, ranging from access to customer service staff to treatment of third-party suppliers.

The industry has already been asked to provide final comments on the Charter following a campaign in Fleet News.

This year’s conference, supported by Honda as headline sponsor and Eagle Eye as session sponsor, is taking place in two locations. Delegates have the choice of attending Oxford on September 20 and Ilkley, West Yorkshire on September 27.

The full speaker line-up for this year’s conference is available on the event website, www.hitforsixconference.com.

Speakers will be Roger Bibbings, occupational health and safety advisory for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents will be presenting a health and safety overview, including a look at the final draft of the Corporate Manslaughter Bill.

He will be joined by Andy Price, a Fleet News Award-winning fleet manager who is now a practice leader, motor fleet at Zurich.

Covering the issue of vehicle funding options will be Alison Chapman, partner at Deloitte, who will be joined in Oxford by Nigel Trotman, business relationship manager, Whitbread and in Ilkley by David Weeks, head of communication for Hanson, who will both be offering case studies on their fleet funding arrangements.

Best practice in fleet will be covered in a session include an exclusive viewing of a new risk management CD-ROM funded by the Government for fleet decision-makers. Britta Lang, senior researcher for TRL, will be providing details on project at Oxford and Saul Jeavons, head of investigations and risk management for TRL, in Ilkley.

Also providing best practice advice will be James Langley, deputy chairman, of the Institute of Car Fleet Management and director of Fleet Intellect.

A session on van fleet management will cover best practice, a subject being presented on by Peter Howard, head of fleet supply at BT Fleet in Ilkley and BT Fleet managing director Janet Entwistle in Oxford.

The second speaker at both venues will be Damian James, head of transport provision for Bracknell Forest Borough Council, who will present on LCVs and telematics.