Staffordshire University has cut its annual business mobility costs by just over 50% after partnering with vehicle rental specialist Enterprise for both vans and cars.

The university now has 14 vans on a three-year contract from Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, which are used by its maintenance and facilities management teams.

Enterprise managed the specification process to ensure these vehicles each had the right equipment, ranging from tail-lifts and parking sensors to specialist tray racking for the van used by the catering team.

The university also now hires several cars a week from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which are used both by its facilities teams and by lecturers and trainers travelling between the campuses.

Enterprise helps the university manage car bookings through a dedicated online tool and ensures replacement vans are available when the existing fleet requires servicing or repair.

Cheryl Pritchard, operations manager campus life services at Staffordshire University, said: “The vans were all the same make and model but we needed markedly different equipment in each vehicle. Enterprise helped us ensure we got exactly what we needed.

“The ability to work with a single partner for both cars and specialist vans is also incredibly useful. We know we’ll get the same level of service and we can talk with Enterprise at a strategic level about all our vehicle and mobility requirements.”

Adrian Bewley, head of business mobility UK & Ireland at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said: “A lot of organisations are in the same position as Staffordshire University in that they need different types of vehicle for different purposes – cars, vans and even trucks. We’ve developed our offering in recent years to cover every type of vehicle rental because our customers see real value in dealing with a single partner for all those mobility needs.

“It ensures organisations can look at their fleet and business travel strategies more holistically.”