Fleet procurement - Page 3

Leasing companies place more than a quarter of their SMR business with independent companies rather than franchised dealers, new research has shown.

Business confidence is rising among leasing companies as profitability improves and growth expectations increase in response to stronger fleet customer demand.

Leasing companies have praised manufacturers for their efforts to improve relationships with the industry in the past year – and they have set out four priority areas to improve levels of support still further in future.

Nearly a quarter of fleets say they are currently reviewing their fuel card supplier, according to the Fleet Barometer.

Fleets have been venting their fury or singing suppliers’ praises as they review their best and worst recent experiences with manufacturers and leasing companies in the past month.

Drivers are increasingly moving away from cash allowances and back into company cars, according to fleet operators.

Growing business confidence could lead to an increase in spending among fleets in the next six months, but many are looking to reduce the number of suppliers they use, an exclusive industry survey for Fleet Leasing has revealed.

A fleet drive to reduce CO2 emissions is creating opportunities for revenue growth among leasing companies.

Leasing companies and manufacturers have been generally talking up the fleet sector, suggesting that many companies have returned to traditional buying patterns and are replacing their ageing cars and vans.

Ford topped the fleet registrations table last year with 157,269 units, followed by Vauxhall (136,819) and Volkswagen (101,788) – the only three manufacturers to hit six figures.

Fleet finance and vehicle leasing have experienced some turbulent times. After the banking crisis of 2007/8, the market underwent some funding trauma as the number of available lenders shrunk dramatically and the cost of funding rose significantly.

Fleet managers have set out some of the key attributes they look for in a leasing company.

Business analysts often warn that a company which stands still is effectively going backwards, so even in the harshest economic conditions, growth must be a key priority.

Are you trying to decide between fuel card providers? Read our round up of the main providers and what they offer.

Roundtable participants share their innovative ideas on how to reduce cost.

Operators are under constant pressure to make savings. John Maslen looks at how to plan for the short, medium and long term.

Multi-source supply key to a cost-effective fleet.

At the budget end of the market it makes little sense to choose diesel company cars unless they will be covering high annual mileage, and often petrol makes a more cost-effective

Product management is the process behind bringing a new car to market. Peugeot's Mark Blundell tells Fleet News just what that involves.

Public sector fleets continue to target reductions.

Procurement of services is about planning for all costs that will happen during a vehicle's life on a fleet, says LeasePlan's Neil Dixon.

Dan Rees, senior manager at Deloitte Car Consulting, offered attendees at the March Fleet200 meeting a snap shot into the timeline of changes and potential impact from the recent CO2 threshold changes.

Three fleet industry experts have their say.

With HMRC taking a tougher stance on accurate mileage record-keeping, it's important to have a robust system in place. Here we assess the different ways of capturing mileage.

CSR has become a common expression in the business world, but how can it be applied to the fleet?

Discover more on the topics covered in the January 9, 2014 issue.

How to pick the vehicle technology best suited to different fleet demands.

Up to 25% improvement recorded in fleet's mpg and CO2 output during trial.

Inefficiencies in van delivery fleets are costing money and wasting man hours.

Vehicles provide more flexibility than full-electric and less pollutants than diesel.

Speed limiters and fuel cards help to offset rising prices.

Reducing costs is just one of the many benefits of a strong environmental policy.

Greenhouse gas reporting rules put carbon offsetting back on the agenda.

Comparisons show that depreciation has larger effect on costs than use.

New legislation will focus on another emission which could raise the costs of running a van fleet.

New buying solution offers huge discounts on vehicle prices, but there are compromises. We look at the pros and cons

Public sector fleet operators can turn to framework agreements - essentially pre-tendered contracts, set up by professional buying organisations - to bypass the full tender process.

Pump prices have fallen in recent weeks, giving fleets much-needed respite from the long-term rise in the cost of fuel.

A recent white paper published by AllStar reveals the cost benefits of using a fuel card.

Every company has different requirements from its vehicles, whether the priority is lowest costs, reliability, or driver appeal.