Bayer has outsourced the management of its UK fleet of 450 cars to fleet management specialist Fleet Logistics.

Fleet Logistics already manages around 3,400 cars across Europe on Bayer’s behalf, in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and Italy.

In the UK, the life sciences company operates an essential user fleet for all employees who travel more than 10,000 business miles a year, plus vehicles across a range of management levels.  

Fleet Logistics will provide a range of fleet management services to Bayer, including a driver portal and helpdesk, vendor management and invoice validation, strategic account management and management of the legacy fleet. In addition, drivers will benefit from the Fleet Logistics online quoting and ordering system, Fleet Wizard.

The fleet management specialist will also be responsible for providing advice around the development of Bayer’s UK fleet, including the further introduction of environmental options such as electric and hybrid vehicles.

David Nicholls, head of property and site services at Bayer, said the decision to outsource the management of the UK fleet was taken to develop its operation to the next level and further increase its cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

“We have a good relationship with Fleet Logistics through the management of our European fleets,” he said.  “So it seemed a natural extension to add the UK fleet to the vehicles that Fleet Logistics manages on our behalf in other countries.

“We also wanted to increase the support levels to our drivers, and we now have one point of contact in place that drivers can call to carry out a range of different tasks from booking services, reporting accidents and mileage reporting. It is a much more streamlined operation.

“We currently have a mix of diesel and petrol vehicles in our fleet, plus growing numbers of hybrids, and we are due a fleet policy review to bring it further into line with current thinking. It will be good to have a supplier with Fleet Logistics’ expertise onboard to help us through that process.”

Sue Branston (pictured), country head UK and Ireland at Fleet Logistics, said: “Naturally, we are delighted to be working closely with Bayer in the UK as our colleagues are in other European countries.

“Our objective will be to introduce the opportunity for a series of fleet efficiency initiatives to ensure the most effective running of Bayer’s UK fleet, to improve its cost-effectiveness and to ensure that support levels to drivers are enhanced. We will also be working closely with them to shape the new fleet policy going forward.”

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