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LightLease, a new market-leading mid-term vehicle lease solution, has been launched by leading outsourced fleet management provider Fleet Operations.

The service enables businesses to lease a broad range of vehicles, from 90 days to 12 months, bridging the gap between short-term rental and longer-term contract hire.

“We have responded to a growing market demand for a flexible leasing option that can help mobilise employees quickly, while also helping to minimise business costs,” said Jayne Pett, Sales and Marketing Director, Fleet Operations.

“LightLease offers a strategic, and cost-effective, alternative.”

The launch of LightLease also offers drivers greater flexibility following the introduction of WLTP (World Light-duty Test Procedure), the new method of measuring car fuel economy and emissions.

“We are witnessing a great deal of apprehension and uncertainty around WLTP, with concerns that higher vehicle CO2 figures may lead to an increase in Benefit-in-Kind tax liabilities from 2020,” Pett added.

“While it remains unclear as to whether or not tax thresholds will be adjusted, LightLease offers a solution for drivers who are cautious about committing to a longer-term contract hire agreement.”

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Trackunit an innovator of telematics technology, has announced a partnership with United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment rental company, to provide premium telematics solutions for the United Rentals fleet. The two companies share a commitment to connecting the construction ecosystem through data-driven technology.

“Every investment we make in technology comes down to two criteria: delivering superior value for our customers today, and helping them build a successful future,” said Michael Bierschbach, director of fleet intelligence and technology for United Rentals.

Every investment we make in technology comes down to two criteria: delivering superior value for our customers today, and helping them build a successful future“Trackunit has developed a best-of-breed telematics solution with a global reputation for business intelligence. We’re working together to help United Rentals customers realize greater jobsite productivity, safety, cost management and informed decision-making.”

Trackunit will use its OEM relationships and aftermarket expertise to install Trackunit Manager technology on light and heavy equipment in the United Rentals fleet.

Trackunit Manager features keyless access control for user authentication, preventing unauthorized use of equipment. The software operates on their Iris platform and utilizes Trackunit Go and Trackunit On as mobile applications.

“Our partnership with United Rentals is focused on creating long-term value through a connected jobsite ecosystem,” said Tom Valbak Aardestrup, global vice president of business development for Trackunit. “There is a growing demand in construction for efficiency at every level. Machine connectivity and actionable data are the tools that will take the industry into the future.”

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AD Bly has achieved savings of £100,000 after an investment in technology helped to reduce maintenance bills, improve driver behaviour and slash mileage

The Knebworth-based construction firm has implemented a joint solution combining TomTom Telematics WEBFLEET and FleetCheck to help boost efficiency across its fleet, with consultancy support from TomTom reseller Auto Electrical Services.

The integration of WEBFLEET and FleetCheck means service schedules can be managed based on up-to-date information drawn from the vehicle, including odometer readings. This helps AD Bly to conduct proactive maintenance work, calling vehicles in immediately when work is required to prevent problems from developing.

Meanwhile, improved mileage reporting has also allowed the company to cut down on out-of-hours use of vehicles, helping to reduce the number of miles travelled by around 5,000 over the course of a year. Reports on driving time and mileage per day also help AD Bly take greater control over the safety of staff.

Bringing different data streams together in one place has helped to change the way we work and allow us to gain greater insights into the operation of our fleetAdam Gamlin, Fleet Manager at AD Bly said: “Bringing different data streams together in one place has helped to change the way we work and allow us to gain greater insights into the operation of our fleet. As a result, the transport department is better able to support the growth aims of the wider business.”

AD Bly also targeted driver behaviour as an area of focus across its fleet of two HGVs and 169 LCVs. OptiDrive 360 – a key component of WEBFLEET – provides managers with weekly reports detailing incidences of speeding, harsh steering and harsh braking. This allows them to conduct detailed driver debriefs allowing them to target any performance issues that may have a negative impact on fuel efficiency and safety.

Meanwhile, the drivers themselves receive in-trip feedback and predictive advice, empowering them with the information needed to make positive changes.

Gamlin added: “By unlocking a wealth of data on driving performance, we are now in an even better position to work with our drivers to improve their safety and help the business operate more efficiently. Our employees reacted well to the introduction of the technology and improvements to performance happened very quickly.

“Now, we are quickly able to identify the root causes of any performance issues and address these with individual drivers, providing the support, advice and training needed to help them improve.”

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Research released this week by Verizon Connect has revealed that a quarter of UK commercial drivers are breaching driver guidelines around rest and fatigue.

By UK law, a commercial driver must take a rest break of at least 45 minutes after a maximum of four hours and 30 minutes of driving time.[1] Yet, a quarter of fleet managers admitted that their drivers on average take breaks after five hours or more, breaching the driver guidelines.

The study confirms the challenge fleet managers face to ensure their drivers remain safe and compliant. When asked about the top issues that worry them, 24 percent cited compliance, 23 percent said unsafe driving practices and 13 percent of fleet managers said drivers not taking rest.

Two-thirds of fleet managers (66 percent) have systems in place to help ensure their drivers take required breaksTwo-thirds of fleet managers (66 percent) have systems in place to help ensure their drivers take required breaks. However, 16 percent of them leave it at each driver’s discretion to take appropriate rest, 15 percent ask their drivers about their breaks and 3 percent do not know.

Many fleet managers (46 percent) use a tachograph to automatically record vehicle speed and distance and to keep track of their drivers’ rest periods. While this is the most time-effective approach for fleet managers, it still has its challenges. According to the study, fleet managers said they spend more than three hours a week correcting and following up on drivers’ tachograph mistakes – which adds up to nearly 21 working days, or more than a month, each year. When asked how they would prefer to spend this time instead, looking for ways to reduce costs was the most popular response with 39 percent.

Fleet managers must also keep tachograph data on record for no fewer than 12 months.

Over a third (31 percent) admit non-compliance by failing to download driver data every 28 days and storing the data for less time than they are supposed to (29 percent).

“Fleet managers are frequently under pressure to increase margins, impress their customers and outshine their competitors. However, safety is still priority number one. Our research shows how hard fleet managers have to work to maintain safety and compliance while juggling so many demands,” comments Derek Bryan, Vice President, EMEA, Verizon Connect.

“Simple systems can be put in place to cut down time spent on admin while ensuring compliance and driver safety. By integrating tachograph data with their fleet management system, organisations of any size can improve driver safety, compliance, and productivity. In doing so, managers reclaim time to focus on growing and improving the business.”

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Connected vehicle cameras are having a dramatic impact on the cost and lifecycle of insurance claims according to Intelligent Telematics and Plexus Law, so could save the commercial fleet sector many millions of pounds each year. Following the analysis of 4,000 vehicles fitted with the SureCam 3G forward-facing device, it was found that there was a 50% reduction in average claims costs and a 15% increase in the average speed of resolution when compared to vans and HGVs operating without a camera.

“The clear message to commercial fleet operators is that connected vehicle cameras are proven to make insurance claims cheaper and quicker to resolve,” explains Sam Footer, Partnerships & Marketing Director at Intelligent Telematics. “Understanding who was responsible can quickly be established with immediate access to video footage – avoiding costly 50/50, exaggerated and fraudulent claims – while at fault incidents can be identified and processed rapidly, keeping third-party costs to a minimum.”

The findings show that it is possible to take better control of the claims management process using connected vehicle camerasBy having access to video evidence with supporting vehicle data directly from the scene of a collision is helping insurance claims handlers to make a faster and more accurate liability decision. The findings show that it is possible to take better control of the claims management process using connected vehicle cameras, with rear-end shunts (55%) and collisions while emerging from junctions (43%) seeing the largest reductions in average claims costs.

Tim Short, Head of Motor Practice at Plexus Law commented: “When you consider that the reported average cost of motor property damage and personal injury claims last year was almost £3,000 and £10,000 respectively, there are clear benefits to be had from adopting connected vehicle cameras. By taking advantage of first notification of loss (FNOL) and proactive claims management a commercial fleet operator can make dramatic savings, which will go straight to the bottom line of their business.”

Intelligent Telematics’ SureCam 3G devices are the leading single, dual and multi-camera solutions for vehicle operations, providing increased protection against fraudulent insurance claims, false driving allegations and disputed liability. They use the most sophisticated 3G and 4G technology so that HD footage of any collision, near miss or harsh driving incident is captured and automatically transmitted within moments of it happening. Unlike other systems in the marketplace, the videos and supporting data are uploaded to a secure server network with no user intervention required, making them the only truly effective 3G vehicle cameras for First Notification of Loss (FNOL).

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An innovative fuel and driver management solution from TomTomTelematics and BP has helped logistics specialists Corporate Solutions cut fuel costs by 8.1 percent.

The Birmingham-based company, which provides bespoke temperature controlled and ambient distribution services, introduced BP FleetMove Pro across its 100-strong HGV fleet in June 2017.

The new integrated system combines BP fuel card information with vehicle location, fuel consumption, driver behaviour and vehicle maintenance data from WEBFLEET, TomTom Telematics’ fleet management solution.  This provides full visibility and control over how fuel is being used across the entire fleet in one, easy-to-use interface. 

Instead of checking thousands of individual fuel card transactions manually every year, the company now receives fuel card exception reports Instead of checking thousands of individual fuel card transactions manually every year, the company now receives fuel card exception reports. These highlight at a glance if there is an anomaly that might indicate fraudulent card use, such as when a fuel card transaction and vehicle location do not match.

WEBFLEET’s integral OptiDrive 360 functionality meanwhile – which gives drivers in-cab feedback and advice on a number of key indicators affecting fuel efficiency, including speeding, idling, sudden braking and harsh steering – has helped improve fleet mpg by 9.2 percent.

In addition, weekly fuel consumption reports have highlighted a clear correlation between fuel wastage due to idling and number of accidents, triggering targeted driver training.

“We’re delighted with the results,” says Stuart Payne, Commercial Director at Corporate Solutions. “Combining different streams of data in this way makes everyone’s life easier, helping us to save time and reduce operating costs.”

Further benefits to the company include WEBFLEET alerts that highlight when any of the vehicles’ dashcam cameras are no longer working, helping to plug any evidence gaps for future insurance claims.

Scheduled integration with the incumbent routing and scheduling system means the company will soon be able to send drivers directions to the most appropriate BP stations on each route to help them get the best fuel deals.

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Fleet Operations, the UK's leading independent provider of outsourced fleet management services, warns that many businesses within the fleet industry remain underprepared for the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The GDPR comes into force on 25th May 2018 and requires businesses to comply with a new set of rules designed to safeguard personal data.

One of the most significant changes means that organisations will now take responsibility for data protection breaches at any point within the supply chain. This puts fleet suppliers and operators at particularly high risk due to the large amount of personal data transactions that occur within the fleet supply chain.

And Brian Hardwick, Head of Operations at Fleet Operations, believes too few companies have got to grips with the full extent of their new responsibilities under the GDPR.

“As a starting point, it is vital for organisations to map all data flows across the business, which means documenting all data coming in and going out, as well as the various organisations or individuals that process information at each point in the supply chain. Contracts must now be in place between the data controller and data processor in each of these data transactions covering all the requisite details outlined by the GDPR.”

The consequences for failing to comply with the GDPR are high, with the maximum fine for infringements set at 20 million Euros or 4% of turnover, whichever is greater.

In this context, Hardwick insists it is the responsibility of everyone within an organisation to minimise the potential for breaches.

He added: “It is not sufficient for an organisation to simply hand all responsibility for the GDPR to a designated data controller – everyone should bear some of the burden. There are obvious data streams, such as payroll, but there are less obvious ones that include everyday emails. In this context, a breach could occur due to something as simple as copying someone into an email thread that contains data they do not have consent to view.

“That’s why it is important to communicate the new regulation – and the steps you are taking to address it – very clearly to all staff and put data protection at the centre of your organisational culture.”

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The field service sector could see huge benefits from self-driving cars so the recent announcement from Byton should be of interest to field service organisations everywhere...

BYTON, an innovator of smart, premium electric vehicles, announced a partnership with Aurora, a leading self-driving technology company.

The partnership will help BYTON incorporate Level 4 (L4) autonomous-driving vehicle capabilities into BYTON vehicles and enable BYTON to become among the very first group of carmakers to bring L4 and eventually Level 5 (L5) cars to market.

In the next two years, BYTON and Aurora will jointly conduct pilot deployment of Aurora’s L4 autonomous driving systems on BYTON vehiclesIn the next two years, BYTON and Aurora will jointly conduct pilot deployment of Aurora’s L4 autonomous driving systems on BYTON vehicles. Additionally, BYTON and Aurora will explore the use of Aurora’s self-driving system in BYTON's series production vehicles. According to the Society of Automotive Engineers, L4 autonomous vehicles can drive independently in most environments, with the expectations that humans may need or choose to drive in some conditions.

"BYTON is designed for the age of autonomous driving. We are pleased to partner with Aurora, as Aurora is supremely focused on a mission to deliver the benefits of self-driving vehicles safely, quickly, and globally," said Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, CEO and Co-Founder of BYTON.

Dr. Daniel Kirchert, President and Co-Founder at BYTON, added, "I'm confident that Aurora will be instrumental in helping BYTON achieve its objectives as an innovator of smart, premium electric cars with Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving."

Chris Urmson, CEO at Aurora, said “We are excited to partner with BYTON, an innovator in the electric vehicle industry, to further advance our goal of delivering self-driving vehicles quickly, broadly and safely. We look forward to piloting this technology in California.”

Earlier this month at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, BYTON premiered its BYTON Concept and announced plans to design and build smart premium electric cars for the Chinese, U.S. and European markets. Sales are set to begin in China in 2019, and sales in the United States and Europe to start in 2020.

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