CONTRACT hire and rental company TLS has been awarded a solus three-year vehicle management contract, worth an estimated £10 to £12 million, by construction company McNicholas. The contract is expected to involve the management of more than 750 vehicles by the end of 1999 and has helped TLS's fleet top the 10,000 vehicle mark.

The deal sees TLS taking over the McNicholas vehicle workshop, complete with staff, on a licence basis for the duration of the contract. This will be used to support McNicholas operations and back-up for the TLS Vehicle Rental network in London and the south east.

McNicholas has historically operated a mixed fleet of owned, rented and contract hired vehicles from a variety of sources. All the company's vehicle needs will now be handled by TLS, which has also absorbed the company's existing fleet.