CLEANING and hygiene contractor NIC has handed over the operation of its fleet to Fleet Cost Management in an outsourcing deal encompassing acquisition to disposal.

Through its fleet card, FCM will handle all vehicle acquisition and disposal for Leeds-based NIC along with maintenance management, fleet administration and accident management. NIC previously operated its fleet of around 200 vehicles through a series of contract hire arrangements. With more than 500 clients nationwide and a workforce of more than 3,000 staff, NIC needs to keep its vehicles on the road.

Managing director John Spencer said: 'We wanted to take everything relating to the fleet and hand it to one organisation that could provide us with the whole range of services we required. Cost was a major factor for us, and with the FCM deal, we are now able to budget much more effectively and can get our operatives on the road as soon as possible and with the minimum downtime. In the short term, we have already achieved an immediate cost saving and now have a more focused approach to accident management.'