The fleet industry is divided as to whether they will find it tougher to access funding for vehicles after a cull of brokers by several major leasing companies.

LeasePlan has almost halved its number of brokers, cutting around 80 out of its network operation, while it is believed Lex Autolease has let 70 of its brokers go (Fleet News, October 22).

This comes in the wake of Lombard and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions stopping using brokers altogether earlier this year.

John Henry, company principal at Contraflex, was bleak in his assessment of the market after the axing of so many brokers. “Funding will not be harder, it will be totally impossible to find,” said Henry.

A Fleet News online poll revealed 56% of respondents believed it would be harder to access funding, while 44% claimed they would be unaffected.

But for Hannaford’s fleet manager Leigh Stiff, the broker cull will simply mean a different way of working. “I’m quite happy to extend the number of companies we approach for quotes to ensure we are getting the best deal,” said Stiff.

The leasing industry has moved fast to try and reassure the market by declaring its support for a ‘smaller but stronger’ broker sector on the basis it delivers high-quality business through long-term relationships.