Fleet briefs: Latest news from Licence Check, FMG, Gofor, Radius, Auto Windscreens, Venson and VGroup

Connells Group extends incident management contract with FMG

Connells Group has further extended its incident management contract with FMG.

The company has partnered with FMG since 2008 for the provision of incident management services for its fleet of company cars and pool cars for estate agents.

Emma Turness, group fleet manager at Connells Group, said: “I can’t over-emphasise the importance of having a safe and reliable fleet in business today.

“Over the years FMG have proven to be a supportive and reliable partner to our large UK-wide driver population, developing their knowledge of our operation to continually add more value.”

FMG’s flexible incident management architecture is configurable to meet the needs of every individual fleet, and a bespoke structure created for Connells allows reporting on sub-divisions and analysis of like for like performance.

Turness added: “Fleet safety is a key focus which can be tricky to monitor when pool cars have multiple users. Through FMG’s bespoke reports our fleet team can easily identify those drivers where safety intervention and training is required whether online, classroom-based or in-car, and also fosters a competitive team spirit with our driver safety leaderboard.”

Dave Parry, commercial director at FMG, said: “This renewal is a major endorsement of the successful relationship our businesses have built up over many years of collaboration.

“Connells Groups fleet is unlike any other and naturally we have created a flexible incident management solution which fits their specific fleet needs, successfully manages total losses, which is a key metric for Connells, and provides a wealth of data and insight to support driver safety and incident prevention.”

New scheduling feature developed for coaching module

Licence Check has added a new feature to its Driver and Vehicle Information Solution (Davis) Coaching module.

The new feature will allow companies to schedule extra, targeted training for drivers alongside the continuous training the module provides.

Licence Check launched Davis Coaching, which is delivered by a dedicated driver app, last year. Since then company drivers have answered over 100,000 questions via the app with a 66.33% success rate, and there has been an average of over 500 unique app launches per week.

The new scheduling feature allows company managers to deliver highly targeted additional training and schedule extra content from a bank of 35 driver training courses.

The new scheduling feature is an additional 50p per driver.

Keith Allen, managing director of Licence Check, which is part of the compliance division of Ebbon Group, said: “We have been highly delighted with the success of Davis Coaching to date, with the number of questions answered by drivers via the driver app now into six figures.

“We believe the type of training that Davis Coaching delivers is the most effective at improving driver attitude and behaviour and addressing an employer’s duty of care.

“But if users want to dial in extra training to tackle a specific company-wide issue, they can now use the new scheduling feature to add additional training content to address that issue in a very accurate and targeted manner.”

Gofor announces mental health charity partnership

Gofor has announced SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) as its charity partner for 2024.

SAMH is Scotland's leading mental health charity, providing vital support and services to those affected by mental health problems or poor mental health.

Its work includes providing mental health information and advice, offering counselling and support services and campaigning for better mental health services in Scotland.

The Edinburgh-based fleet management and business contract hire specialist said it was delighted to pledge year-round fundraising efforts to support SAMH.

This includes in-office fundraisers and team entry into sponsored events such as the Edinburgh Marathon and Edinburgh Kiltwalk. 

Employees within Gofor voted for SAMH from a shortlist of three local charities to be Gofor’s charity of the year for 2024, with the business making one-off donations to the other charities.

Graham Lesslie, chief executive officer at Gofor, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the team for choosing SAMH for our 2024 charity efforts. 

“Mental health, especially in the post-pandemic world, is a huge challenge for our society.  To have Gofor making a difference in this space means a lot to me personally, and to our people.”

The team is aiming to raise a five-figure sum for SAMH across 2024, with the funds going towards raising awareness about mental health issues and providing vital support to those in need. 

Radius announced as official telematics partner of Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

Radius has been appointed by Arnold Clark Vehicle Management (ACVM) as its official telematics partner to allow companies to track vehicles and have visibility of the operational efficiency and safety of their fleets.

Vehicle camera solutions from Radius will also be available.

Kerry Fawcett, group director of partnerships at Radius, said: “We are immensely pleased that Arnold Clark Vehicle Management, a sector giant and household name, has chosen Radius to be its official telematics partner, reinforcing the high level of trust and reputation we have earned in the vehicle leasing industry.

“Our products provided to ACVM offer enhanced visibility and tracking capabilities to its customers, in addition to protecting drivers through the use of vehicle cameras.

“Fleet operators will be empowered to manage their fleets effectively, achieving operational, safety and security benefits.”

Jim Blair, operations manager at Arnold Clark Vehicle Management, added: “We're delighted to have partnered with Radius. We will be saving money for our customers by improving productivity and reducing carbon emissions.” 

Auto Windscreens welcomes MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney  

The team at Auto Windscreens have welcomed MP for Lincoln, Karl McCartney to discuss the latest developments in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) at its Lincoln service centre.

As a senior member of the Transport Select Committee in the House of Commons, the MP met managing director, James MacBeth, other senior directors, members of the ADAS team and Ryan McAndrew, a current apprentice.

McCartney said: “Auto Windscreens is a successful business supporting local jobs, which is fully committed to training our apprentices, just like Ryan.”

MacBeth added: “We were delighted Karl could visit our Lincoln site. It was an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate the innovative equipment we use to undertake ADAS calibrations and the focus we place on our apprentices, who form an important part of our business’ future.”

Venson introduces sustainable accessories in partnership with VGroup International

VGroup International has collaborated with Venson Automotive Solutions to deliver upgraded sustainability and safety features to its customers with the new vehicle packs.

The pack refresh responds to the rising demand for environmentally friendly and safety-focused products.

VGroup introduced the ‘Conscious Range’ including fully recyclable plates, vehicle mats and hessian bags, aligning with global sustainability goals.

The updated packs also incorporate innovative safety tools like LED warning flares, faraday pouches and dynamic QR codes for up-to-date safety contacts.

“We recently revised our driver pack contents, which they helped throughout every step of the process, making the experience positive and effortless.” said Arvi Smalinskas, operations manager at Venson Automotive.

Will Mears, leasing account manager of VGroup International, added: “Across almost 20 years of partnership, VGroup International and Venson have worked tirelessly together to provide the highest standard of safety items, innovative and compliant products to ensure all Venson drivers are protected no matter the scenario.

“It has been a pleasure working in partnership with Venson to elevate their packs to the next level of customer safety.”