Fleet briefs: Latest from Licence Check, AFP, Ayvens, Samsara, Lightfoot, Econ Engineering, FCLG, Targa Telematics, FMG, The Handbook Group, FMG Repair Services, Fleet Financial and the AA

Licence Check adds new supplier management feature to Davis Fleet

Licence Check has added a new supplier management feature to its fleet management system, Davis Fleet, to give greater transparency to service, maintenance and repair (SMR) spend.

Part of the newly renamed Ebbon Fleet Solutions division, Licence Check recently announced a number of new features including vehicle inspections, defect and downtime management, BIK taxation and fines management for Davis Fleet, which are already proving popular with users.

The new supplier management release, like the previous features, is fully integrated within Davis (Driver and Vehicle Information Solutions), Licence Check’s risk management platform, via Davis Fleet.

The new feature allows fleet managers to input all the suppliers they use for SMR work, including servicing, repairs, tyres and glass, and then identify the spend within each area, showing how much and with whom the greatest spend is being made.

Licence Check managing director, Keith Allen, said: “This latest release adds further to the extensive armoury we are developing for fleet managers within Davis Fleet.

“Our objective is to make their roles more manageable, by the use of sophisticated, yet easy to use and transparent solutions to reduce task time and improve fleet management effectiveness.

“We have further new features in the pipeline which we will introduce on a planned basis and which will further consolidate vital fleet information into one integrated solution to allow fleet managers to do their job more efficiently,” he added.

British Motor Museum to host AFP Expo

The third annual AFP Expo will be held at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon on September 10 by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

The event is designed to create opportunities for AFP members – plus their colleagues and peers from across the fleet sector – to network, learn and collaborate.

In addition to an exhibition area where fleet support provider members can showcase what they are offering to fleets, there will be a series of round table discussions where delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions, share insights and hear what industry leaders, experts and innovators have to say on salient topics.

Matt Hammond, vice chair at the AFP, said: “We aim to make the day as productive as possible, giving delegates the opportunity to access people, information and services that can help them with current fleet management issues but also update them on future opportunities.”

He added that there was an open invitation for non-AFP fleet professionals to attend to enable them to get a flavour of the AFP’s activities.

Registration for the 2025 AFP Expo is open at www.theafp.co.uk/the-afp-expo-2025/.

Ayvens named leading supplier on Halton Housing Framework for supply of vehicles

Ayvens has secured the position of top-ranked supplier on the Halton Housing Framework managed by MUFG Corporate Markets (formerly Link Group), following the completion of a national tendering process.

The framework, which supports over 250 public sector organisations including housing associations, local authorities, NHS Trusts and emergency services, is designed to provide access to a wide range of fleet funding and management solutions across the UK.

The agreement covers vehicles from cars and light commercials to heavy commercial and specialist fleets up to 44,000kg GVW.

The Halton Housing Framework is structured around four distinct lots: 

Lot 1 – Contract hire of cars and light commercial vehicles (up to 5,000kg GVW)

Lot 2 – Contract hire of specialist and commercial vehicles (over 5,000kg GVW)

Lot 3 – Employee car salary sacrifice schemes

Lot 4 – Flexi-hire (medium-term rental) solutions for vehicles in Lots 1 and 2

Jessica Chapman, corporate sales director at Ayvens, said: “We’re pleased to be awarded a place on this well-established framework and honoured to be named number one supplier.

“This reflects our continued investment in providing value-driven solutions to the housing and public sectors. Through this framework, we look forward to working closely with organisations to support smarter fleet choices and accelerate their sustainability goals.”

Samsara reveals new safety and AI-Powered technology for physical operations

Samsara has unveiled more than a dozen AI-powered solutions for physical operations.

Fuelled by Samsara’s open platform, these new solutions include AI-powered safety tools, a new connected wearable, advanced routing and navigation capabilities and enhanced maintenance tools.

“We’ve entered the age of intelligence, and AI is helping our customers operate smarter,” said Sanjit Biswas, CEO and co-founder of Samsara.

“We’re partnering with our customers to build products that help them run safer, more efficient operations and protect frontline workers while saving millions of dollars.”

Samsara has invested more than $1bn in research and development to date.

Targa Telematics agress data management deal with Volvo and launches new website

Targa Telematics has announced a strategic partnership with Volvo Cars to integrate data from Volvo vehicles in Europe.

The partnership with Volvo Cars involves the direct integration of data streams from the numerous Volvo models into Targa Telematics’ platform to enable – without requiring new installations – the creation of new connected mobility services using information relating to items such as miles travelled, fuel consumption, GPS location, EV data or remote commands such as lock/unlock in full compliance with privacy and safety regulations.

“The collaborations we have with car manufacturers aim to provide new mobility services developed using data flows from vehicles equipped with OEM devices, thus reducing the operational impacts related to aftermarket installations,” said Alberto Falcione, vice president sales at Targa Telematics.

“The goal is to simplify and normalise data flows, a highly complex process, and make them available through Targa Telematics' digital platforms.”

The data deal with Volvo comes as Targa Telematics launches a new corporate website.

The new layout improves content organisation, highlights Targa Telematics’ international presence and portfolio of solutions, and allows for the customisation of specific sections for each country to meet local communication and commercial needs.

Lightfoot offsets carbon footprint of over 13,000 CV Show visitors

Lightfoot has offset the carbon emissions of every one of the 13,000 attendees at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC in April.

At the three-day event, Lightfoot installed interactive carbon footprint calculators that allowed visitors to input their journey details, including distance travelled and vehicle type.

From this data, Lightfoot calculated an average of 17.7 kg of CO₂ per person totalling more than 230 tonnes of carbon emissions across the show.

In partnership with global reforestation initiative Evertreen, Lightfoot has funded the planting of nearly 300 trees in Madagascar, fully offsetting the emissions generated by showgoers’ travel.

“Decarbonisation is the ambition of nearly every commercial vehicle fleet operator we speak to,” said Paul Hollick, CEO of Lightfoot.

“We support fleets through electrification, improved driving efficiency and offsetting. Working with the CV Show organisers demonstrates how collaborative efforts can lead the commercial vehicle sector toward a Net Zero future.”

Econ Engineering launches new training programme and signs Armed Forces Covenant

Econ Engineering has established a new training programme for the wider industry as part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing safety, efficiency and compliance in winter maintenance operations. 

The initiative, launched under Econ’s Skills for Life continuous professional development initiative, includes a series of industry accredited training courses run in partnership with Lantra.

The one-day, in person courses are aimed at a range of professionals, including engineers, operators and trainers, giving them the knowledge and skills to maintain winter service vehicles safely and efficiently.

Steve Sinnott, sales director at Econ Engineering, said: “By equipping teams with the right knowledge, this training helps increase return on investment, reduce downtime, improve service awareness, and enhance long-term operational efficiency.

“Proper training also minimises safety risks and ensures best practices are followed throughout the servicing and repair process.”

Lantra qualifications are Government-approved, recognised by employers and insurers, and valid for five years.

The partnership comes as Econ Engineering has signed the Armed Forces Covenant, marking an ongoing commitment to support the Armed Forces community.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

It focuses on helping members of the Armed Forces community have the same access to Government and commercial services and products as any other citizen, such as employment, housing and healthcare.

New digital hub launched by FCLG to power the future of fleet and claims management

FCLG has launch FleetHalo – a new digital hub that brings together all the company’s bespoke IT solutions into one integrated platform.

Designed specifically to support fleet operators, drivers and their internal teams, FleetHalo represents a major milestone in FCLG’s journey to streamline operations, boost transparency, and deliver a seamless digital experience without losing the hands-on approach that’s defined its service since it started over 38 years ago.

“FleetHalo is more than just a digital hub, it’s the next chapter in how we serve our clients,” said Craig Moss, managing director at FCLG.

“We built FleetHalo by living our brand promise to listen to our clients and customers, innovate our services and inspire our people.

“We’ve created something that works for our teams internally as well as being client and customer facing. Everything you need is now in one place.”

Manheim renews longstanding partnership with FMG

Manheim has renewed its decade long partnership with FMG for the provision of incident management services to cover both company cars and vehicles en-route to auction.

The contract delivers a full incident management solution, including 24/7 FNOL, repair management, vehicle rental and loss recovery.

The bespoke solution also includes a range of ancillary services to control Manheim’s total incident costs.

James Balliger, group procurement officer at Cox Automotive, parent company of Manheim, said: “Our partnership with FMG is essential to the smooth running of our operation, so when incidents occur, we know our driver will receive all the support they need and every aspect of the repair and subsequent claim will be handled expertly and efficiently.”

FMG’s incident management solutions are powered by Ingenium, the incident management platform which intelligently triages incidents and triggers bespoke workflows to meet the specific needs of every customer.

Phil Jerome, sales director for fleet at FMG, said: “We’re delighted to support such a large and fast-moving operation with our flexible incident management services.

“From the outset we reengineered our FNOL system to efficiently accommodate the ever-changing vehicles on Manheim’s fleet, and every aspect of that solution has been honed over the past decade to reduce vehicle off road times and control all incident related costs.”

The Driver Handbook rebrands to The Handbook Group

The Driver Handbook has officially announced a rebrand to become The Handbook Group.

This change, it says, marks a significant milestone in the company’s evolution from a single-product solution to a growing provider of digital tools designed to support the broader transport and logistics industry.

“This is a major milestone in our journey - one that wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of our customers and partners,” said Glen Davies, managing director of The Handbook Group.

“As The Handbook Group, we’re building on everything that made The Driver Handbook successful, while expanding our platform and vision to deliver even greater value across the transport and logistics sector.”

As The Handbook Group, the business is introducing new features, products and integrations to support fleet managers, compliance officers, safety teams, and wider operational roles across the industry.

FMG Repair Services announces new major site

Accident repair specialist FMG Repair Services continue to progress its site investment plan with the announcement of another new accident repair centre, which will open this autumn.

The new site, in Cardiff, will be equipped with all the latest automotive repair technology, enabling repairs to all vehicle derivatives including EV, Hybrid and LCVs.

At 20,000 sq. ft, the new bodyshop will include 28 repair bays, a diamond cutting alloy wheel lathe, on-site ADAS repair technology, dedicated plastic and aluminium repair equipment and a fast-track repair solution supported by a Tempo spray booth, curing paint in minutes.

The new site will replace the company’s existing bodyshop in Ely, Cardiff, and will employ the same team, along with adding further expertise through new recruits, to support the growth in capacity and capability.

Paul Wrigglesworth, managing director at FMG Repair Services, said: “Our new Cardiff site is the next stage in FMGRS’ growth and site investment programme and has been carefully designed to provide first-class, efficient and future-proof repair solutions for all modern vehicles and body materials.

We’re looking forward to launching this new high-tech facility and aligning our repair capacity in the popular Cardiff area with our long-term strategy of operating from modern, efficient and scalable facilities.”

FMG Repair Services’ employs more than 1,700 staff across the UK, repairing around 100,000 vehicles per year.

Fleet Financial and the AA join forces

Fleet Financial has announced its partnership with AA Accident Management to develop tailored solutions for Fleet Financial customers.

Central to the partnership is an accident management solution that meets the needs of Fleet Financials’ customer base, including large and medium-sized corporate customers, in addition to a dedicated SME provision.

It will, says Fleet Fiancial, ensure a more effective solution for each customer, reducing vehicle off-road (VOR) time to keep businesses moving.

Damian Hughes, managing director of Fleet Financial, said: “We knew from our existing relationship with the AA, through our breakdown recovery service, they would deliver a great solution whilst providing, cost certainty for our customers and reduced downtime.

“Being able to work collaboratively with the AA and ensure all our customers have an experience that works for them, is what sealed the deal.

“This level of personalisation is incredibly important to us, and we’re excited to see our partnership develop.”

Chloe Edwards, business development executive for accident management at AA Business Services, added: “We know we can make a real difference to the customer experience in times of an accident and reduce downtime which is business critical for so many organisations.

“This partnership is all the more exciting because it sees us expand our relationship with Fleet Financial & the Lookers Group and extend our services further in Northern Ireland.”

The AA will provide its end-to-end accident management service to all Fleet Financial customers