Fleet briefs: Latest industry news from Nexus, FleetCheck, Jaama, E-Training World, Network Rail and GoWash

Avoiding rear-end shunts top driver training need

Research by E-Training World reveals that avoiding hitting a third party in the rear has been the top driver training requirement over the past year.

Other highly requested training areas include concentration and observation, hazard perception, speed awareness, and parking and manoeuvring.

Car driver training has been the most in-demand, followed by training for van and HGV users.

Utility, construction and facilities management companies have been the most prominent investors in driver profiling and training over the past 12 months, followed by charities and insurance companies.

Graham Hurdle, managing director at E-Training World, said: “Hitting third parties in the rear is one of the most common types of incidents reported to insurance companies.

“There are many reasons why drivers drive into the rear of another vehicle, including a lack of concentration, following other vehicles too closely, and excessive or inappropriate speed.

“Roundabouts are a common location for rear-end collisions, with drivers focusing too much on traffic already on the roundabout and not enough on the vehicle in front.”

Network Rail utilises GoWash to keep fleet vehicles clean

GoWash, a national fleet washing account, has signed Network Rail on to growing fleet account. 

Network Rail operate 10,000 fleet vehicles across the UK, tasked with the job of keeping the national rail network operational.

Following a successful three-month trial of the GoWash fleet account on a subset of Network Rail’s vehicles, it has been decided this week to roll out the account nationally to cover all 10,000 vehicles. 

The link-up between GoWash and Network Rail has been possible through the relationship with Novuna Vehicle Solutions who are Network Rail’s fleet partner of four years. 

Lewis McGee, Network Rail strategic contract manager for Novuna Vehicle Solutions, said: “We presented GoWash with a challenge, to provide a national solution for Network Rail drivers to access vehicle cleaning simply and quickly.

“The ease of use, management, and network coverage GoWash’s solution provides made the trial seamless, making it a beneficial new service to roll this out to Network Rail’s wider fleet.”

GoWash now works with more than 50,000 fleet vehicles across the UK, with a national network of hand car washes numbering in excess of 420 with expectations that this will reach 450 by year-end.

FleetCheck doubles size of offices as almost 300 new clients signed in 2023

FleetCheck has doubled the size of its offices following the signing of almost 300 new clients in 2023.

Its premises at the Cotswold Business Park in Kemble, Gloucestershire now total 6,000 square feet, providing what managing director Peter Golding describes as “ample” space for future expansion as well as room for training and conference facilities.

He said: “It’s not quite the end of the year but we have signed 282 new clients who together operate 46,700 cars, vans and trucks. That means we have a total of more than 2,046 clients with 271,088 vehicle assets now using our software.

“Since the turn of the decade, we have seen probably a more than 15% increase every year in our customer base and that trend looks set to continue, so this seems like an ideal time to increase our footprint and ensure we have the right space for the future.”

During 2023, FleetCheck has also overhauled its core fleet management software as well as enhancing its driver compliance apps.

Nexus launches new electric vehicle marketplace

Nexus Vehicle Rental has launched Nexus-E, which provides customers with access to a wide variety of electric vehicles (EVs) through its fleet management software Iris.

Nexus-E enables users to manage all EV bookings in one place with access to dedicated operational support throughout the rental process.

Users will also be able to view technical information when choosing their vehicles, including EV range, battery capacity, connection times and charge times.

Mike Palmer, Client Development Director at Nexus Vehicle Rental, said: “At Nexus, we are constantly looking to develop our services with new and innovative product offerings and software, facilitated by our flagship product, Iris.

“We are really excited about the launch of Nexus-E, which will help to make the switch to electric easier by helping to combat the existing challenges associated with accessing a comprehensive stock of electric vehicles.”

Werfen latest to commit to Key2 QuickStart

Werfen are the latest company car fleet to join Jaama’s portfolio of car fleet clients after it wanted visibility across all of its vehicles and drivers, and a complete audit trail.

Joanne Bennicke, head of HR, who recently took over running the fleet, says that Jaama’s recently launched QuickStart tool was perfect as it provided everything it needed and is specifically designed for smaller fleets.

It provides one centralised system to manage all fleet activity, with drivers having access to the MyVehicleApp, which allows them to upload and share vehicle inspections and report accidents 24-7.

Bennicke said: “For the first time by using the QuickStart Reporting functionality, I can accurately record the mileages and stats from a varied fleet of hybrids, ICE and EVs and make informed decisions as to reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

“For a company like us moving away from the dark days of paperwork and spreadsheets, it was critical that migration to a technology solution could be effected seamlessly, and I’m pleased to say that QuickStart has been universally well received, intuitive to use and the reporting functionality has opened up a new world of management information.”