• End-to-end solutions tailored to your specific requirements
• No cost surprises
• A top class service and quality guarantee
• A commitment to creating a win/win situation through real partnership

Having the assurance of a well-managed fleet, with predictable maintenance cost, fleet information analysis and expert advice gives you, the customer, time to concentrate on what you do best - running your business. In addition to the peace of mind you can expect from us, you will also have access to essential knowledge and information when it comes to making future investment decisions about your fleet.

Background

Following a period of research in the Irish market, Fleet Solutions was established in 2002 with a specific agenda to address the needs of fleet operators. This research uncovered a number of key issues facing fleet operators:

First, the "you break it, we fix it" maintenance and service model is simply not good enough in the current environment. Service providers have to be proactive and actively understand their customer needs.

Second, the principal need of a fleet operator from its service provider is the ability to manage all fleet needs and not simply the repair and maintenance requirements. The reality for many fleet operators is that fleet management is an essential requirement for the success of their business but it is not what their business is about. And managing a fleet involves issues such as buying and selling vehicles, cost control, driver and service crew training, health and safety, etc.

Third, for a service provider to successfully manage all customer fleet needs, it must be prepared to establish a truly collaborative partnership with the fleet operator and be willing to share the risks and rewards of that relationship.

In addition, other issues have evolved in the current environment to make life even more difficult for the fleet manager:

Increased public awareness of road safety issues
To the general public, your fleet is your corporate image and every means must be used to ensure that image is never compromised in the public domain.

Increased legislative burden and complexity
Over 43% of UK vehicles did not pass the DOE first time, in 1999,and considering that the UK operators have a better attitude to preventative maintenance than their Irish counterparts, this not only poses a headache for any fleet manager but also means that predictably, more legislation will come to address safety on the roads.

Greater onus of responsibility for Health & Safety issues
All employers are faced with this every day. An accident free environment is not possible but a safe environment is. Through workforce training, education and enforcement, safety can be established in the heart of a company's culture. Not only is it essential, it is also costly.

The need to focus on cost control
The area of most concern and frustration for a fleet manager is the unpredictable nature of fleet costs. Getting to grips with this can be an unending challenge.

The need to maintain competitive advantage
The purpose of the fleet manager's job is to maximise the fleet's capability and time on the road. But, how much of their valuable time is devoted to issues that relate to the fleet being OFF the road due to repair and maintenance issues? As a result, the fleet manager is distracted from the main purpose of the job. These are the hidden costs of fleet maintenance

Spiralling insurance costs
The widespread nature of increased premiums is significantly related to events outside the industry's control. But what impact does an individual company have in controlling its insurance costs? The answer is a lot. An insurance company assesses risk by industry, number of vehicles and number of employees, but most of all; it looks at previous claims history and measures taken to prevent accidents. If a company's history is not good, premiums will be punitive. Rectifying this situation requires substantial investment in health and safety practices.

Advanced trailer technology has increased choice but also the possibility of making the wrong (and costly) choice
More choice has evolved and competition has driven down price. But many customers continue to do business with sub-optimal fleets. They have fleets that are either too much for their requirements (and therefore costly to buy and maintain), or too little (which costs through lost business). Where can a fleet operator turn to for sound and independent advice? The answer is there are very few options if any at all.

Requirement for new and more expensive maintenance skills
Technological advancement means that fleet maintenance requires up-skilling and additional training for maintenance engineers. This costs money. And what guarantee does the fleet operator have that this investment will pay-off? How can they guarantee that they will be able to retain those staff in the future?