A new service has been launched to help fleet managers avoid hefty charges at the end of a contract.

End-of-life penalties levied by some providers can run into many thousands of pounds on a large volume of vehicles, but Motiva Group is confident it can help businesses make significant savings on de-fleeting costs.

The company is making full use of a new workshop complex at its Stoke-on-Trent headquarters by introducing an end-of-life service that goes beyond their own customers.

And John Cartwright, group operations manager, is hoping fleet managers will see the chance to pre-empt the notorious appraisal process as too good to miss.

He said: “A number of providers see end-of-life as a big profit-making opportunity.

“They carry out rigorous checks on vehicles returned at the end of their contracts and will often charge heavy penalties for even the slightest imperfection.

“The best way for fleet managers to get around that is by having issues such as damaged bodywork repaired before the vehicles are sent back to their original providers – it’s far more cost-effective in the long run.

“It can be a big logistical operation, particularly for large fleets. But now we have a high-tech workshop facility on site with plenty of compound space, it’s something we’re adding to our portfolio.”

Motiva will extend the service to cars, vans and trucks from any provider, including their own clients.

Cartwright added: “It shouldn’t affect our own customers too much because we make sure we’re always fair, perhaps overly fair, on end-of-life charges.

“But this is something we can do for any vehicle wherever they’re leased from – whether they need smart repairs on superficial damage such as small dents and scratches, more complex bodywork or mechanical repair.

“We’ll provide proper estimates, carry out the work ourselves or sub-contract to a third party and then organise the return of the vehicle to the original provider.

“While managing end-of-life costs is not new to the marketplace, it’s something we’ve never been able to do before.

“Now we have the facilities and technology along with the necessary ability to communicate effectively between each department.”

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