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The start point for the best source of fleet information |
There is a lot happening in fleet at the moment. You don't need me to tell you this but, for the sake of completeness, let's recap on some of the major points.
Off the top of my head - EVs, plug-in hybrids, the rise of mobility solutions, clean air zones, WLTP for cars then WLTP for vans, RDE2, increased numbers of employee leasing schemes, forthcoming changes in company car taxation, the potential impact of Brexit, ADAS systems and much more.
Looking at this list, what is striking is that almost every single one of these factors has the potential to impact on your fleet operations. Taken together, it's no exaggeration to say they represent a time of significant, perhaps fundamental change.
How is the fleet industry coping with all of this? In many respects, admirably. One of the great things about our sector is that we are highly pragmatic. Show us an issue and we'll strip it back to fundamentals and find a way to manage it effectively. However, the sheer number and speed of these changes mean that people responsible for operating fleets are often firefighting. Rather than looking at this time of change in its entirety, alterations are often made to policies on a running basis.
Bearing all of this mind, I'm going to ask a question: when was the last time you looked at your fleet policy from the ground up? I mean, properly started with a blank sheet of paper and made plans that take into account not just your legacy thinking surrounding company cars and vans but also the challenges and opportunities that all of these new developments provide?
I ask this question because, as part of our consultancy work, we are starting to notice some fairly noticeable differences between organisations that are coping with this time of change in a piecemeal manner and those that have embraced the moment and undertaken a more fundamental review of their business transport. Simply, the latter are producing better results.
A complete fleet review is a big exercise and something that it is often tempting to put off until the next quarter or next year but, at this moment in time, the benefits from making that investment could be more than worthwhile.
Shaun Sadlier is head of consultancy at Arval
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