Cutting the wires The Fleet Operator Perspective Daventry

Cutting the wires -The Fleet Operator Perspective Daventry 14 th May 2008

ACFO is -² The principal UK body representing fleet operators (ie the organisations who use the vehicles) ² A major networking forum for fleet operators/ managers/ administrators ² The focus of representation of the legitimate concerns of fleet operators with government agencies and other representative bodies (BVRLA, SMMT, RMIF etc) ² Source of data/ information on fleet management techniques

ACFO has -² Approx 900 members ¬ All sectors of UK commerce ¬ Complete cross-section of fleet sizes z 7 to 43, 000 cars & vans: some members also have larger Commercials/ HGV fleets ¬ Representation from all styles of fleet z Pool/ benefit; high/ low mileage; all forms of operation ² 9 regions nationally ² The ear of government ² A major commitment to green (and safe) fleet operations

We also have -² Our Mission Statement: ¬ “ACFO aims to be the principal organisation which represents the professional interests of vehicle fleet operators; developing expertise in fleet management through meetings, informed debate, and training”

Membership Distribution -- Total Membership > 900

Membership Profiles ² >900 Members ² Approx 70% “fleets” ² Approx 30% “suppliers” ¬ ¬ ¬ Manufacturers Rental companies Leasing companies Dealers Aftermarket – all areas ² Total fleet count (EXcluding lessors’ clients fleets) > 650, 000

At the heart of policy ² Representation of “the voice of fleets” on many groups/ bodies ¬ Low. Carbon Vehicle Partnership ¬ Low Emission Zones WP ¬ Cleaner Transport Forum ² Also, regular dialogue with: ¬ ¬ ¬ HMRC/ Inland Revenue/ Customs & Excise Df. T DVLA DEFRA HM Treasury

Market Position ² Around 50% of all new car registrations to 25+ unit “fleets” ² Around 20% of all new car registrations to 2 - 25 unit “businesses” ² Average tenure – 44 months ² Average mileage – 70, 000 (at disposal) ² Total fleet parc – 3. 5 m - 4. 0 m cars + vans

Outline demography – UK fleet cars

Good Fleet Management practice ² Understand what’s going on ² Capture the basics ¬ (Business) Mileage ¬ Fuel Used ¬ Costs z “Every mile – Every drop – Every penny” ² Enforce realistic business disciplines! ² Major company costs ² CAN be managed – IF it’s measured

Highly affordable ² Essentially single-tier membership ² Annual subscription only £ 165 pa + VAT "It is rare indeed to find such a wealth of varied knowledge and experience, in so many different motor industry disciplines under one roof, as at ACFO meetings. It is even rarer to leave an ACFO meeting having not learned something new. ” Fleet Manager; IT sector; 1, 500 cars

Other benefits of Membership ² Best networking forum for fleets ² Multiple delegates per meeting ¬ (Organisation is the Member – not an individual) ² All aspects of all sizes, types and levels of fleet accommodated ² Smaller fleets benefit most ¬ Networking access to large-fleet expertise – free! ² Access to discounted training courses ² Templates/ examples of key document sets ¬ Driver Handbooks – Sept 2003 ¬ H&S/ Do. C Policies – Feb 2006

#1 Issue for Fleets - 2008 ² Duty of Care ² Health & Safety ² Corporate Manslaughter & Corporate Homicide Act ² All topics for relevant Press, conferences, training, schemes, threats and cowboys ² The underlying issue is deadly serious

For aftermarket installations ² Good news ² Bad news No such thing as a problem only profit opportunities

Once upon a time -- Results 1 - 10 of about 1, 800, 000 for lucar terminal. (0. 28 seconds)

-- to add things like these Cruise control - Choose an actuator AP 300 - Vacuum actuator: Ideal for vast majority of vehicles, petrol or diesel. Smaller body easy to mount in engine bay. Best value for money out of the range. AP 550 - Electric actuator: Modified AP 500 with 4 stroke lengths and variable cable length. Universal kit for easier fitting in awkward spaces. AP 800 - Electronic Actuator. Cruise control especially designed for ‘Drive by Wire’ vehicles. This unit requires a command module plus a vehicle specific, plug-in, pedal interface ‘T-Harness’. Saves time on fitting, no moving/wearing parts.

-- through these ² -- more high-tech -

- - but NOW All cars sold in the United States since 1996 are required to have a On-Board Diagnostics connector, for easy access to the car's Controller Area Network (CAN) bus.

More devices as standard ² Specification developments ² Demanding buyers ² Demanding drivers ² Increasing legislation ² Increased sophistication

Fewer “standard” items to add ² Application-specific devices ¬ ¬ ¬ Tracking Geofencing Alarms (eg chillers) Dedicated comms Database links to base station ² Purpose designed features ¬ Driver behaviour ¬ Incident defence (eg waste freighters)

Duty of Care ² Risk minimisation ² Driver monitoring ² Replicability ² “Tick-in-the-box” peace of mind ² Criminal charges ² Civil claims

Demands of the Fleet Manager ² Technical knowledge ² Competence ² Convenience ² Risk transfer ² Accountability chain ² Diagnostics ² “Right-first-time” ² Qualifications ² Capacity ² Ability to serve their customers!

Costs ² Clearly a factor – but seldom main issue ¬ “Value for money” ¬ Quality service delivery ¬ Backup ² “Partnering” concept gaining ground ² Insurance policies more demanding ¬ No device – no risk cover ¬ Audit trail for reliability & loss adjustment

So ² Look closely at developing markets ² More niche areas ² Qualification and guarantees ² Understand fleet needs/ choice drivers ² Don’t sell the product – sell the benefits ² Evaluate volume and price carefully ² Fleet vehicles move around – ¬ Testing essential ¬ Implications of problems ¬ Client downtime

Thank you for listening Drive home Safely (and Economically)! The End

Rivendell House Winton Road Petersfield GU 32 3 LL UK Tel: +44 1730 260162 Fax: +44 1730 26 39 37 info@acfo. org www. acfo. org