Estimates put the number of small fleets in the UK – companies with fewer than 25 vehicles – at somewhere north of one million. 

Most of these don’t class themselves as running ‘a fleet’. However, they are subjected to the same rules and regulations that affect a fleet of 10,000, such as duty of care, the Corporate Manslaughter Act and environment-based taxation.

Grant Naris, finance director at Cordek, realised the threat to his business of not taking health and safety legislation seriously. He brought in DriveTech to audit his fleet of 18 vehicles.
“It was a fantastic exercise. Numerous points were highlighted, some of which I was aware of, as well as other areas of potential weakness in our risk management strategy,” Naris said.

In addition to the ever-pressing need to stay abreast of legislation, fleets need to stay on top of costs. 

Every fleet can save money by selecting the best vehicles for purpose, choosing the right funding methods and having a fleet management policy that focuses on reducing mileage, improving fuel efficiency and cutting accidents.

Next month, Fleet News is launching the Small Fleet Review, a quarterly magazine for the smaller fleet, typically with fewer than 50 vehicles. 

In the first issue, Kevin Griffin, Ford director – fleet operations, explains why the manufacturer is putting more effort – and money – into winning small fleet business. 

Ford isn’t the only one: every manufacturer with aspirations to grow their fleet sales is putting greater emphasis on smaller companies.

Leasing companies have been dipping into the small fleet sector for a while, sometimes via brokers, sometimes via dedicated divisions. 

Lombard has recently terminated its broker network and now plans to go direct to smaller fleets. The company tells Small Fleet Review why it has taken the decision and more about Lombard’s future ambitions.

While larger fleets tend to be controlled by fleet managers or administrators, small fleets come under the wing of a director. While the amount of time they spend on fleet matters might be low, typically no more than 10%, how they spend that time can make a big difference to fleet overheads.

  • Small Fleet Review will be published on October 22 and is available to fleets with fewer than 50 vehicles. For more details, call call Louise Hodgkinson on 01733 468295 or you can also email.

See the electronic editions of the Small Fleet Review.