As the UK’s first all-LPG vehicle hire firm, Wolverhampton-based Auto LPG Vehicle Hire provides business customers with a range of LPG vehicles including Ford Transits and Citroen Berlingos, available for short term hire. The firm offers flexible hire solutions, providing hire from around a week up to six months and can also provide businesses with accident courtesy vehicles as well as accident management services. The new firm says that its decision to provide an LPG only service will not just help reduce businesses control vehicle running costs but-as they promise to match competitors on hire cost- they offer unbeatable rental prices too.

As LPG usually costs around half the price of petrol, even those not yet converted to LPG may find that the running costs an appealing prospect for their short term hire needs. According to the firm, on the assumption that LPG cost 53 pence per litre compared 109 pence per litre for petrol (prices based on January 2010 averages), a standard Transit van covering just 20,000 miles per annum would, based on the above pricing, save £1456 in fuel costs against the equivalent petrol van, or £1,000 on an equivalent diesel van. Over three years ownership the LPG vehicle would save over a staggering £4,368.

LPG (liquid petroleum gas) is not just cheaper, it is greener too. In fact, it has been shown in tests to reduce CO2 emissions by around 20 per cent compared to petrol. Even though LPG vehicles have similar CO2 output to diesel cars, they have other advantages, for starters they are much quieter than diesel engines, produce fewer particulates and nitrogen oxides emissions and as the fuel has a clean chemical- if it is spilt, it quickly evaporates with little ground contamination. As a by-product of the petroleum industry, LPG retails at a lower price than conventional fuels too. With fuel costs rising once again, LPG is looking like an increasingly attractive fleet solution.

Explains Oliver Roberts, one of the firm’s directors: “We saw a gap in the market, many vehicle hire companies are unable to provide LPG vehicles at all. Those that already run LPG vehicles want to run LPG vehicles all the time, so when it comes to using short term hire, they want to stick with LPG. Our new service ensures that businesses that want to use LPG vehicles don’t have to suffer the inconvenience and expense of running dirty diesels or petrols.”

“We aim in time to expand our service as we are confident that we offer a uniquely appealing fleet solution, in the near future our range of vehicles will grow to match our customers’ needs.”

In a trading update ahead of the Group’s full year results for the year ended June 30,
2009 to be released on October 2, Helphire also warned that it would make further one-off charges of £82 million as it continues to restructure the business.

Helphire said that it had received notice that Acromas Holdings, the parent company of the AA and SAGA businesses, would stop referring business. Discussions, said Helphire, regarding the timing of the ending of services to both the AA and SAGA are ongoing. Going forward, the companies are seeking ways to continue to work together in the supply of services in a different capacity.

Helphire added that it had agreed contract renewal terms with one of its largest referrers to supply non-fault accident and related services for a further two years. Additionally, it had recently signed a renewal agreement with another ‘significant’ account to supply services for a further three years on an exclusive basis. Together, those accounts represented 30 per cent of current case hire volumes, said Helphire.

Meanwhile, at the half year ending December 31, 2008 Helphire reported pre-tax exceptional charges of £62.3 million. Now, the company says that it expects to charge further exceptional items of approximately £82 million – £15m principally related to redundancy and vacant buildings, £12m after ditching the development of a new IT platform, £8m on the value of previous acquisitions, £29m on claims it may not recover and £18m relating to changes to its legal services relationships.

Chief financial officer Ian Wardle said: “There has been a considerable amount of progress made in the Group over the last six months and it is in much better shape, financially, organisationally and operationally. Dealing with the legacy issues and implementing an appropriate restructuring programme is essential as we aim to position the business with a much greater performance focus as we go forward. The Group is well positioned to continue its recovery programme.”

ABD representative Nigel Humphries said "We are pleased to see the RAC Foundation saying what the ABD has been saying for many years. Every accident has multiple causation factors and often all parties involved could have done something to prevent the crash even when not strictly blameworthy. Whilst punishing those at fault is sometimes justified, it is far more important to investigate all factors to establish what can be done to prevent similar accidents in future.

“For example ‘rear enders’ are a common cause of death or serious injury. Of course the blame nearly always falls quite rightly on the driver of the following vehicle. However, ensuring free flow of traffic and preventing hold ups could be very effective in reducing such crashes. There are also many things that drivers can do to avoid being rear ended including good positioning to make themselves visible, keeping an eye in the mirror, leaving a large gap in front, staying in gear whilst planning an escape route and using brake lights and/or hazard flashers. An education campaign could have prevented many such crashes yet current government advice is to put the handbrake on and turn the engine off to save the planet!”

ABD chairman Brian Gregory said "The current solution to any accident seems to be to reduce the speed limit and put up a camera. This has failed, not least because it has led to secrecy about the reality of accident causation, because the facts must be twisted to support the bad policy. Last week we called for publication of all causation factors for child fatalities, no doubt that will fall on deaf ears as will the RAC Foundation’s excellent suggestions. The scandal of the government’s dismal failure on road deaths will continue".

Statistics from leading accident management specialist, Accident Exchange, showed that between March 2008 and February 2009, foreign lorries were the ‘at fault’ party for one in every 378 road traffic accidents the Company handled, representing a increase of 10.07% on the previous year.

The resulting average repair bill was £1872, with one in ten vehicles classified as insurance ‘write-offs’.

Based on analysis of over 115,000 accidents¹, the findings contradict the slowdown in international trade and a continuing Government-backed campaign to tackle the most common cause of foreign lorry accidents – ‘side-swiping’.

Motorway crashes accounted for almost half of all reported incidents with the M25 the number one hotspot. The London Orbital was the scene of one in four (25%) of all reported left-hand HGV accidents – up from one in five (20%) on the previous twelve month period (March 07- February 08).

Since December 2007, in an attempt to reduce ‘side-swiping’ – caused when motorists are travelling in the HGV’s blind-spot – the Department for Transport has handed out over 200,000 Fresnel lenses to foreign lorries entering the country.² Analysis of Accident Exchange data shows the number of incidents decreased in the first three months before returning to previous levels.

Nearly a third (32%) of the cases analysed were unable to pursue claims against the negligent foreign driver.

“Non-existing policies, difficulty contacting foreign insurance companies, drivers pulling off without leaving details – reasons cited for why motorists are likely to be unsuccessful in recovering damages from foreign-registered HGVs,” explains Michael Killoury, Managing Director of Customer Services at Accident Exchange.

Under the revised Road Safety Act, VOSA officers and Police now have the power to issue fixed penalties or on-the-spot fines of up to £900 to drivers of foreign vehicles if they commit offences.

However, the fault may not lie entirely with the foreign lorries according to Peter Cullum, Head of International Affairs at the Road Hauliers Association. “In the last year we have seen escalating fuel prices reduce traffic densities on our major trunk roads. As a result it’s highly possible that increasing motorway speeds are leading to a rise in side-swiping incidents caused by undertaking or overtaking drivers who don’t understand the blind-spot hazard of left-hand-drive HGVs.”

According to the Association of British Insurers, mile for mile, foreign lorries are three times more likely to be involved in collisions than their UK counterparts.³ In 2008, official statistics showed they were involved in around 30 fatal incidents.

More than one company has brought to the fore that they are meeting ardent protests when asking employees for information, particularly in relation to privately-owned vehicles driven on business. Some organisations using Fleet Support Group’s RiskMaster occupational road risk management have introduced their own ‘get tough’ policies including: WHSmith and the OyezStraker Group refusing to pay mileage expenses, the Labour Party banning employees from driving on business and other organisations refusing drivers’ permission to hire a car

Employees who continue to evade their employer’s safe driving policies and procedures and are involved in an accident could find themselves charged under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act, section seven of which states that all employees have a duty while at work to:

• Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work

• Co-operate with their employer or any other person, so far as is necessary, to enable their employer or other person to perform or comply with any requirement or duty imposed under a relevant statutory provision

Kevin Basnett, a specialist employment lawyer and partner in west country-based Goughs Solicitors and an adviser to FSG, said: “Individual members of staff have an obligation to keep themselves safe.

“Staff who have been consistently asked by their employer to comply with reasonable requests for information to enable them to meet their best practice compliance obligations and are then involved a crash, perhaps because they are using a mobile phone, could be prosecuted under the Act.”

Prosecutions can be carried out in either a Magistrates’ Court, where the punishment for a guilty verdict could be a maximum £5,000 fine or 12 months jail or both; or the Crown Court where the maximum sentence is two years jail, an unlimited fine or both.

Fleet Support Group chairman Geoffrey Bray said: “Opposition to measures to improve road safety among at-work drivers must be overcome. We need to change some employees’ attitudes towards road safety. Compliance with all company policies and procedures should be written into employment contracts.”

Mr Basnett added: “The legislation is something that companies are not using in a bid to ensure that employees provide the required information. However, it is a law businesses should use to ensure compliance.”

“Boards of directors should ask themselves who is running the company; they or their employees? Firms must explain the rationale behind the safe driving measures they want to introduce and firmly regulate the process involved. If employees still fail to conform then more drastic steps should be taken including disciplinary measures.”

Employee protests have also arisen at unionised employers, but the TUC emphatically backs occupational road risk management.

A TUC advice document says: “Work-related road safety must be a higher priority for employers and be integrated into employers’ arrangements for managing health and safety at work. Employers need to control work-related road risks and by doing so could save hundreds of lives every year.”

Public service trade union Unison overcame concerns through a series of meetings and regular communications and has successfully introduced RiskMaster. Ian Smith, who introduced the initiative at Unison and is also now an adviser to FSG, said: “The TUC view is important because many businesses are unionised. Employees should be reminded of the TUC view and the fact that the union they belong to is affiliated to the TUC which supports occupational road risk management.”

Kwik-Fit is Britain’s largest independent fast-fit company and will be able to offer the very latest revolutionary techniques to make scuffed alloys, scratched, dented and chipped paintwork along with scuffed bumpers disappear from cars and vans to it’s customers from as little as £45. The latest paint mixing technology is also being utilised together with repairs to alloy wheels, fix interior trim and upholstery and velour tears and cigarette burns on the inside of vehicles.

With seven-day a week opening and SMART repairs available either on an appointment or call-in basis, Kwik-Fit Fleet is continuing its hassle-free policy of keeping company car and van downtime to a minimum.

Kwik-Fit is trialling SMART repairs at centres in Edinburgh, Birmingham, St Helens, Telford and Slough with a mobile service available in London.

Mike Wise, head of Kwik-Fit Fleet, said: “We are continually looking to expand our range of added value services to fleets and private motorists.

“Our ability to significantly undercut the cost of SMART repairs quoted by other providers, coupled with our reputation for industry-leading service and the availability of SMART repairs on a drop-in basis provides fleet operators and company car and van drivers with a win-win situation.

“We will analyse the success of the trial at the various locations later this year. Our intention would be to provide SMART repair services at a number of centres across the country supported by a mobile option.”

The new initiative comes hard on the heels of Kwik-Fit Fleet expanding its established range of tyre, battery, brake and exhaust fast-fit services to corporate customers to include MOTs and service, maintenance and repair work as well as air conditioning recharging and glass repair.

Mr Wise added: “As Kwik-Fit extends its range of services the number of company cars and vans we are seeing is rising and has now reached significantly more than 2.5 million. We expect that figure to continue to grow as more businesses utilise our range of services.”

The bid to raise funds through the selling of about 151.5 million shares at 33p each, a 21 per cent reduction on Thursday’s (April 9) closing price, comes as the struggling company announces further jobs cuts, another reduction in its fleet size and the decision of its chief executive to quit after six months in the job.

Helphire says its funding position has been hit by a significant deterioration in trading conditions and the continued increase in the balance of claims outstanding.The company has already cut 130 jobs and a further 180 positions will now go. Additionally, Helphire will shrink its fleet to around 15,000 units with the disposal of approximately 2,000 vehicles with more than 3,000 vehicles also being rented out to corporate customers over the coming months.

Support for Helphire’s moves have come from its bankers, who have agreed to relax covenants in relation to net debt, profitability and claims outstanding following completion of the share placing.

Meanwhile, Mark Adams has decided to step down as the group’s chief executive. Richard Rose has been appointed as executive chairman and Martin Ward, who heads the group’s core accident management business, has been appointed group managing director and has joined the board. Additionally, on Wednesday (April 16), Avril Palmer-Baunack will join the board as a non-executive director. She has held a wide range of senior positions in the automotive and fleet industries and since November 2007 has been chief executive of Autologic plc.  

Mr Rose said: “Along with the rest of the new management team at Helphire I am clear about the plan for improving the Group’s profitability and cash generation. Tough decisions are being made, implementation of the plan is well underway and the fundraising will provide us with the resources we need to complete it.”

The Fleet Safety Forum Awards recognise the achievements of those working to help reduce the number of road crashes, many of which are fatal, involving at-work drivers. Last year’s winners included BT, Nestlé, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and GreenRoad Technologies.

Their are ten award categories, as listed below and entries are invited from organisations or companies running any type of fleet or products or services to fleets, who have worked to improve safety:

1. Road Risk Manager of the Year Award for the risk or fleet manager who has implemented exemplary road risk management policies with proven results.
2. Company Driver Safety Award for the organisation that has implemented initiatives that do most to promote safe driving among employees.
3. Fleet Safety Analysis and Action Award for the organisation that has implemented the most effective procedures for carrying out risk assessments, crash data analysis, and introducing tailored interventions.
4. Safe Vehicles Award for the organisation that has implemented the most effective maintenance procedures and technology to improve the safety of its vehicles.
5. Disaster Management Policy Award (NEW IN 2009) for the organisation that has developed the best policy for when the worst happens.
6. Road Safety in the Community Award for the organisation that has worked hardest with its local community to improve road safety for all road users
7. Fleet Safety Provider of the Year Award for the fleet service provider that has offered outstanding services to improve fleet safety
8. Fleet Safety Product Award for the product that does the most to improve fleet safety through technology
9. Vehicle Manufacturer Award for safe vehicle design
10. Kevin Storey Award for Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety for the organisation or individual that has gone above and beyond the call of duty in its commitment to road safety, not just within the company but also the wider community. Organisations cannot enter this Award themselves, but can nominate someone else within the industry by emailing fleetsafetyforum@brake.org.uk

A full list of last year’s results can be viewed at www.brake.org.uk, click on Fleet Safety Forum, then Awards for Excellence. Please note that some awards are split into categories for small and large organisations.

Organisations are invited to attend the awards dinner, which will include a drinks reception, three course meal, and an evening of entertainment, fundraising and dancing regardless of whether they are entering themselves for an award or not! Tickets cost £90 each or £850 for a table of ten. As an added bonus, a year’s subscription to the Fleet Safety Forum is FREE with every table booking.

A charity auction and casino will take place on the night, with all funds going to Brake, the road safety charity, to help fund their educational work and care services for road crash victims. To book tickets for the dinner dance or request an entry form contact Brake on 01484 559909 or  fleetsafetyforum@brake.org.uk. Entry forms must be returned by email by Thursday, April 30 2009.

Carol Rusdale-Jones joins the company as National Accounts Manager, bringing a wealth of experience working for a diverse portfolio of brands, covering motor manufacturers, insurance companies, financial institutions and retailers.

2008 has been a big year for Total, which has launched a number of new products covering all aspects of fleet accident management and has won high profile contracts with companies including Saint Gobain, Sinclair Leasing and TCH Leasing. Carol has been brought in to the team as National Accounts Manager to support and continue the growth of the company and will be responsible for identifying key business opportunities, particularly within the contract hire and leasing markets.

Total has also expanded its Sales and Marketing operation with the appointment of Laura Wheeler as Marketing Manager. Following four years working with Helphire Group plc, Laura moved over to Total in2006 and has spent the past two years in a number of roles within the business. Laura and her team are now responsible for supporting both Total Accident Management and its customers and partners in all marketing activity, events, hospitality and public relations.

Penny Stoolman, Sales and Marketing Director for Total Accident Management said: “During the past two years Total has experienced successful growth, with both our product portfolio and the number of customers we now support. The experience that Carol brings to the role and Laura’s focus on marketing will help deliver our ambitious growth plans in all fleet sectors.”

Jaama, which also specialises in providing software systems to contract hire and daily rental companies, moved to new premises in Tamworth at the end of September.

The offices are almost four times the size of its former nearby premises and will enable Jaama, which now employs 40 people, to further develop its product portfolio enabling fleets to effectively and efficiently manage their operations.

Since Jaama’s launch in 2004, investment in web-based software development now exceeds £4 million. While Key2 Vehicle Management remains Jaama’s core fleet management software system it has developed modules, such as Key2 Financials launched last year, which ensures maximum integration for companies using the system as it eliminates the need for organisations to have any other software within its finance departments.

Indeed the compatibility of Jaama’s software with other systems that customers may already operate has been one of the key drivers behind the company’s growth, which now sees the company supply systems to 14 vehicle leasing and rental companies and an accident management company in addition to a wide range of car and commercial end-user fleets.

Major customers include: British Transport Police, BCA, Luton Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council, DHL Express, DHL International, Manheim, Sheffield Insulation Group, Steria, Fleet Hire, Newton Vehicle Rentals, Phones 4U and Advantage Incident Management.

Managing director Jason Francis, whose brainchild the company was, said: “The growth of Jaama has been on a completely different scale to the business plan we originally had.

“Growth has been fuelled by a combination of the capability of our software system and the service and support we provide to customers. We continue to win a significant amount of business as a result of referrals from existing clients.”

It is that rich functionality and the ability of clients to customize the software to meet their own individual requirements that has enabled Jaama to undertake business with significantly larger companies and local authorities than originally planned.

Mr Francis said: “These customers are very demanding, particularly around financial modules. But we have risen to the challenge. As clients have looked to increase the depth of functionality so we have further developed our modules to the point where Jaama is leading a technology revolution that links fleet operations to other internal systems such as HR and payroll, and external systems used by suppliers and customers.”

Continuous software developments mean that Jaama has launched version three of its Key2 system and that is enabling increased integration, particularly for contract hire and leasing company customers with their broker networks and new car dealers.

Mr Francis explained: “Our new broker module now enables vehicle brokerages to provide monthly rental quotes instantly online, while dealers are able to supply data on new models much more rapidly.

“In addition, Jaama remains the only software company to offer a vehicle configurator that harnesses data from CAP Motor Research’s industry-leading New Vehicle Data Solution.”

Jaama is currently developing these links with third party systems further to enable organisations to conduct online business transactions such as P11D submissions with HM Revenue & Customs.

Mr Francis concluded: “When we launched the business four years ago we planned on bringing a market-leading web-based fleet, contract hire and rental management software solution to the marketplace. However, the functionality delivered by the Key2 product range has become far broader than we anticipated as a result of customers’ requirements becoming increasingly complex.

“As corporate compliance requirements continue to increase, the challenge for Jaama is to develop our software to meet those demands. The data available to fleet operators has increased exponentially in the last decade. The challenge for Jaama is to continue to reduce the administration burden for customers while further aiding top-level decision making through technology.”

The contract success follows Skipton Building Society’s decision to switch from outright purchasing vehicles and using a third party for fleet management.

Following an initial sale and leaseback with ALD Automotive on 220 company cars, Skipton has started replacing the remaining 80 vehicles with new models following the introduction of a choice list based around wholelife costs.

As existing company cars are defleeted, new models will be supplied to the Society equipped with ProFleet2, ALD Automotive’s multi-award winning telematics system.

In addition, ALD Automotive, one of the UK’s largest leasing and fleet management companies with almost 50,000 vehicles on its books, is supplying a number of other services including accident management, daily rental and DriveSafe, ALD’s unique suite of risk management solutions, which includes driver licence checking.

ALD will manage all services and driver contacts through a dedicated helpdesk and Skipton’s drivers also have access to ALD Automotive’s online vehicle ordering system.

Having already managed the Society’s affinity scheme for its existing cash opt-out drivers, ALD Automotive won the contract following a marketplace review and a competitive tender process.

ALD Automotive sales director Mel Dawson said: “We undertook a comprehensive analysis of the different funding options available to the Society. The Society’s board then gave sale and leaseback the green light, which was followed by the tender process.

“Key to our success was our use of innovative tools such as AutoSolutions, our unique total cost of ownership fleet software programme. AutoSolutions analyses every single factor – both corporate and personal – impacting on vehicle funding, car choice and services and this was crucial during the analysis.

“But our management reporting systems were also very important. Going forward, the ability to gather a raft of driver and vehicle data online through ProFleet2 and our online system, threesixty, means that Skipton will have at its fingertips comprehensive management reporting that can be ‘sliced and diced’ to ensure maximum operating efficiency.”

Skipton Building Society general manager – group finance, James Mack, said: “We are delighted to be working with ALD.  Their approach to fleet management provides us with an opportunity to understand and operate our company car scheme more efficiently than ever before.”