Fleet briefs: Latest industry news from Licence Check, Convey Technologies, Sopp+Sopp, Nama and VEV

More than 1m licences checked in 12 months

Licence Check has checked more than one million licences in a calendar year for the first time in its history according to the latest Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) figures.

The business, part of the Compliance Division of the Ebbon Group, recorded a total of 1,030,552 licence checks through its DAVIS (Driver and Vehicle Information Solution) platform between April 2022 and March this year, the highest of any licence checking business in the UK and a 21% increase over the previous year.

These results include a record month when in February this year, more than 100,000 checks were processed through DAVIS – a new high for a single month and up 23% compared with the same month last year.

Managing director, Keith Allen, said: “This is fantastic news and to hit the 1m mark in a year is testimony to the efficiency and ease-of-use of the DAVIS platform and the sheer hard work of our highly talented team right the way across the business.

“The achievement also firmly cements our position for the second year in a row as the UK’s leading licence checking business and is the result of continuous growth over the last three to five years.

“However, to maintain our number one position over the coming year, we have a host of exciting new developments already in the pipeline and which we will bring to market during the coming year, including a new driver app.”

DAVIS Fleet will move the DAVIS platform from what was traditionally known as a licence checking platform to a fleet management offering for operators.  

Allen explained: “In practice, there has always been a vehicle compliance element to the platform, including MOT and tax checks, as well as making sure fleet managers had all vehicle data.  It was simply less well known.

“However, we are expanding this to become a simple, easy-to-use platform for operators to manage their drivers and vehicles in one place. We are thinking in terms of renewal management, disposal charges, back-end management with compliance remaining a key focus – all in a single platform.”

Sopp+Sopp partners with Wondle for unreported damage

Accident management company Sopp+Sopp has teamed up with damage detection specialist Wondle to launch an AI-powered inspection service for commercial fleets.

The solution will help create a more proactive inspection model, identifying unreported damage, supporting driver training, and reducing off-hire costs, it says.

“In many fleets unreported damage is only discovered when the vehicle lease ends, resulting in costly off-hire charges or an unexpected repair bill,” explained Callum Langan, managing director at Sopp+Sopp.

“AI-inspection has an important role to play in helping fleets gain a complete picture of vehicle condition. This technology allows drivers and depot managers to complete regular, quick inspections that paint a realistic picture of fleet condition and support decision-making.”

It takes three minutes to complete a vehicle inspection and get an instant condition report using Wondle’s AI-powered app.

The technology guides the user through the inspection, automatically identifying and categorising damage based on fair wear and tear guidance.

Callum continued: “We’re already using the AI-inspection solution to support our fleet customers. One great example is a recent mid-term inspection, where we used the app to inspect 90 vehicles in a single day with excellent accuracy.

“Wondle identified previously unreported damage on more than 50 of the vehicles, providing individual reports instantly and a full trend report within 24 hours. The app delivered valuable insight to inform repair and driver training decisions without the time and cost implications of a standard inspection.”

Matt Cranny, co-founder and director of Wondle, said: “Large fleets don’t have the time and resources to complete inspections for minor vehicle damage and calculate its financial impact.

“That’s why around half of vehicles incur a charge at the end of their lease period, with average costs now at £561 for vans. These costs are difficult to budget accurately, especially in the current market where long lead times on new vehicles are causing leases to be extended.

“Our AI-powered tool offers a simple, cost-effective solution to this problem. We’re looking forward to working with Sopp+Sopp to deliver improved visibility of fleet condition to its customers.”

Convey Technology launches workshop module and mobile app

After 6 months of industry trials, Convey Technology has launched its workshop module and mobile app.

Used in conjunction with Convey’s fleet management module, the workshop module is a paperless management system providing secure, real-time information and traceability of inspections, repairs, and servicing, from scheduling to signoff.  

Within the workshop module, templates are fully customisable to work for any activity or task that needs to be performed on a fleet asset. This might be an inspection check for a HGV, a cleaning process for a passenger vehicle or a multi-step checklist for a vehicle hand-over.

Operators can choose the sign-off process and photo uploads and signature capture can be incorporated into the workflow.

Paul Heath, product manager at Convey Technology, said: “Customers who have implemented the workshop module have found that they are able to transform their maintenance process, receive real-time updates, and eliminate the need for paper-based documentation. This has resulted in more accurate and efficient record-keeping and ultimately improving operational performance.” 

The functionality of the workshop module is enhanced by the accompanying mobile app. As jobs are completed, the progress data can be viewed in the Convey fleet management module, within the Convey platform.

Vitol-backed VEV launches end-to-end fleet electrification solution

VEV has launched an end-to-end solution for the planning and delivery of the electrification of a fleet, as well as ongoing fleet management services.

VEV facilitates the roll out of a fleet transition and includes the building of charging infrastructure, supply of electric vehicles (EVs), software and data platforms, charging solutions, energy and storage and payment options.

Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV, said: “Every fleet is unique, which is why a bespoke offering that considers their business needs and understands their transition is essential. Our customers can leverage our expertise and benefit from going electric sooner.”

Chris Bake, member of the executive committee at Vitol, added: “Vitol is investing in the energy transition. To date we have committed over $2 billion to sustainable projects and we are continuously looking to deploy our capital and expertise to transitioning the transport sector.”

NAMA vehicle grading scheme receives King’s Award for Enterprise

The National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA) has announced that its used vehicle condition grading scheme has received the King’s Award for Enterprise.

NAMA launched its used vehicle grading in the UK (operated under licence between NAMA and its members) in 2013.

It was designed to facilitate the buying and selling process of a used vehicle in a condition that is better understood by both parties.

To date, more than 10 million vehicles have been graded by the scheme.

The King’s Award for Enterprise is highly coveted with just 200 initiatives being presented for consideration each year.

The award will be physically presented by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Greater London to the NAMA executive board at their Great Portland Street head office in London. This will be followed by a winner’s reception hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace planned for the summer.

NAMA chairman Andrew Walker said: “It is a great honour to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise and a wonderful recognition of the contribution our members have made and continue to make in the development and maintenance of the used vehicle grading scheme.

“It took four years to bring the scheme to market and a further two years to create the training modules and professional qualification now held by over 1,000 vehicle appraisers across the UK. This year will see further exciting developments with the scheme as it evolves to meet the ever-changing needs of the motor industry.”