At last it is in the public domain regarding what Fleetnews calls a "Chronic shortage of vans", we've been explaining for months that delivery lead times are up to 4 months for even a 'bog standard' vehicle.
The problem that we've encountered has been that some of our competitors are making false promises of 3-4 weeks, even the direct sales-force of the large leasing companies have been telling porkies! This can understandably be frustrating when we are being honest and upfront with our clients, so much so that we've lost business due to the lies of others in the market!!
Some businesses have been relying on used vehicles - a big no-no in the fleet world. For the sake of a delay in delivery, additional costs of maintenance, reliability and Health & Safety do no make this a viable option.
So please if you are thinking of a new van or vans for your businesss our advice is - get moving!!
Here is the link to the article
Friday 29 June 2007
Smoking in Company Cars - enforcing the ban!
With the 1st July just around the corner the increased emphasis on smoking, or not smoking is further distracting boardrooms around the country. If you work for or run a smaller business it is also most likely that you are going to fall foul of the new laws.
The likelihood of 'getting away with it' is not yet known however just driving down the M62 you can spot a company run vehicle a mile off, it won't be difficult to pick up the typical Mondeo Man as he puffs away in fast lane.
The law states that it is the employers responsibility to enforce the ban, meaning that firms need to have clear policies set out and presented to drivers. I know of one large fleet that charges their drivers up to £2000 if there is even a whiff that a car has been smoked in.
Simple things like placing No Smoking Stickers cars and vans (at least 70mm in diameter!) are a start and our customers receive theirs in the post.
It would be really interesting to find out how you are coping with the no smoking ban in all aspects of running your business, maybe we can help each other!!
The likelihood of 'getting away with it' is not yet known however just driving down the M62 you can spot a company run vehicle a mile off, it won't be difficult to pick up the typical Mondeo Man as he puffs away in fast lane.
The law states that it is the employers responsibility to enforce the ban, meaning that firms need to have clear policies set out and presented to drivers. I know of one large fleet that charges their drivers up to £2000 if there is even a whiff that a car has been smoked in.
Simple things like placing No Smoking Stickers cars and vans (at least 70mm in diameter!) are a start and our customers receive theirs in the post.
It would be really interesting to find out how you are coping with the no smoking ban in all aspects of running your business, maybe we can help each other!!
Friday 22 June 2007
Confusing Industry!!!
It appears that the Company Car is still up there amongst the top 'perks' amongst employees in the UK.
Despite the increasing personal tax issues which have in recent years driven people out of company cars the business market is still outperforming the retail sector for new registrations.
In some sectors 77% of businesses still offer a Company Vehicle with some positions which is quite phenomenal!! How many of these vehicles are for the necessary business travel compared to perk vehicles is not clear. However it seems to be the larger fleets getting larger and taking advantage of the competitive market place. We are noticing that even these large users are doing a little bit of extra shopping to see what deals are available. I even read somewhere that one small public sector fleet of 30 cars was tendered out to 25 suppliers for EVERY vehicle!! What a complete waste of time!!!
We are lucky enough to be getting more and more involved in dealing with some larger fleets they open up to the multi-supply channels. Our main advantage is that we deal with all the best leasing companies anyway - so they only speak to me but are getting the most suitable deal from up to 8 different quotes per vehicle. Magic!!!
Despite the increasing personal tax issues which have in recent years driven people out of company cars the business market is still outperforming the retail sector for new registrations.
In some sectors 77% of businesses still offer a Company Vehicle with some positions which is quite phenomenal!! How many of these vehicles are for the necessary business travel compared to perk vehicles is not clear. However it seems to be the larger fleets getting larger and taking advantage of the competitive market place. We are noticing that even these large users are doing a little bit of extra shopping to see what deals are available. I even read somewhere that one small public sector fleet of 30 cars was tendered out to 25 suppliers for EVERY vehicle!! What a complete waste of time!!!
We are lucky enough to be getting more and more involved in dealing with some larger fleets they open up to the multi-supply channels. Our main advantage is that we deal with all the best leasing companies anyway - so they only speak to me but are getting the most suitable deal from up to 8 different quotes per vehicle. Magic!!!
Friday 15 June 2007
Congestion Charge in Manchester
I've read with interest today the 'proposals' for the congestion charge in Manchester! So i've been ruing over the costs and benefits of such a proposal - what might happen? You may find it over-dramatic but never mind ......... read on............!
The charge will affect us directly and indirectly and like all smaller businesses we seriously need to consider many options!
Well in a few years time I'll be paying to come work, so I'll probably have to reshuffle my entire working day like many people! Flexible working hours or even working from home are likely options to keep costs down! I might simply introduce 'core' hours where i'm in the office and then hold my meetings away from the zone at peak traffic times!
But those people with Company Cars?
Well they'll be doing less mileage I am sure. There will probably be more car pooling or car-sharing to be introduced - a positive step we think. Will it means less business for us? No, not overnight, vehicle costs have spiralled in recent years yet still the most desirable perk for any employee is the Company Car. Don't forget the huge amount of vans on the road, they have a job to do and so we will always be busy on that front!
What about businesses who run vans?
They may no longer want the City Centre business for maintenance contracts or at the least hike their rates up. Imagine trying to cover a call-out charge to include a days parking + a congestion charge!
Lots of business is on the move at the moment, could we see a shift back out of the city to the surrounding towns and businesss complexes such as Kingsway at Rochdale?
Possibly so, if office space continues to rocket in price the addition of another cost, couple with a reduced ability to gain services such as telecoms, air conditioning engineers may well result in a shift away from town!
They key thing is that it isn;t just a city centre charge, the M60 is being used as the marking point, therefore affecting 100,000's of people, businesses and car users.
I am currently happy to get on the bus to a City Centre appointment and welcome the improvements in public transport but can the improvements be so vast and traffic be reduced so much without a huge impact on the business community?
Welcome
Well, this is our first attempt to the world of blogs so we'll see how things go!
I hope to provide helpful / useful information which will enlighten business users of vehicles in the often clouded world of financing your cars and vans!! I might even attempt to add some humour for what for many is a 'headache' subject!
There are so many ways to go about searching for not only the right vehicle for the job, but then! Shock horror how to fund it...! Feel free to send questions over to me and i'll do my best to help you out!!!
I hope to provide helpful / useful information which will enlighten business users of vehicles in the often clouded world of financing your cars and vans!! I might even attempt to add some humour for what for many is a 'headache' subject!
There are so many ways to go about searching for not only the right vehicle for the job, but then! Shock horror how to fund it...! Feel free to send questions over to me and i'll do my best to help you out!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
