Fight the fleet flab with a post lockdown workout

Workers and their kids have been keeping fit during the lockdown with the record-breaking support of fitness guru Joe Wicks - but what about your cars and vans?

After weeks spent out of use, it is more than likely your fleet operation will be out of shape when business demand returns, so it is time for some fleet keep fit.

To help get your fleet in shape, we have created a seven-step fitness programme that will help reduce your waste and save a few pounds too.

Avoid feeling flat and unhealthy

When your vehicles sit around all day, then it is no surprise they end up out of shape, particularly when it comes to tyres. Before drivers head out on the road, it is vital that they complete a thorough walk-around check to identify any potential issues. This includes checking tyre pressures and looking to see if they have developed a flat spot from standing for a long time. Driving with a flat-spotted tyre can cause significant vibrations and affect everything from handling to braking. It can also lead to a puncture.

Don’t stand idle

Do your vehicles just sit around idling the time away, piling on the pounds when it comes to fleet costs? Leaving vehicles with their engines idling is a significant drain on company finances that needs to be avoided while companies recover from the cost of lockdown. Experts estimate that every 10 minutes of vehicle idling costs at least one-tenth of a litre in wasted fuel and there is also the risk of a fine. An idling engine can produce more harmful pollutants than when in motion; every minute, an idling car can produce enough exhaust emissions to fill 150 balloons with toxic gases. Guidance suggesting engines should be turned off if you are going to be stopped for more than 30 seconds.

Try to shed excess pounds

Is your fleet looking a little flabby around the edges? Do you have too many vehicles for your needs, which is piling on the pounds in terms of fleet costs? A few exercises in cost control could soon have your fleet in shape. Review your vehicles and consider whether you need all of them to work all the time. Consider alternatives, such as flexible rental, where you can flex your fleet size by increasing or decreasing vehicle numbers as business needs change, without incurring any additional costs, such as early termination charges.

Look at your measurements

A good diet of accurate data is a crucial step to a fitter fleet. Generous helpings of telematics data feed great insights to the business about fleet performance and where the biggest savings might lie. Information can include fuel use, idling, speeding, efficient routing, duplicated journeys, and incident hotspots. Use good software or services to devour data, such as Driive with Reflex, and turn it into insights that you can use to make the fleet fitter and more efficient.

Go on a crash diet

Risk management is a weight on every fleet manager’s shoulders, so every penny spent on reducing incidents is a great investment. Driver monitoring and support, backed by technology such as telematics and dashcams, can make an immediate difference to incident costs, as they become less frequent and less severe. The potential benefits are a key reason why Reflex Vehicle Hire has put Safety as Standard at the heart of our business, with commercial vehicles limited to 70mph and all vehicles offered with tracking and dashcams.

Check your weight regularly

With roadside tests revealing that one in every four vans exceeds its maximum payload capacity, it is vital for fleet operators to watch their weight. Not only do companies face fines of up to £300, the driver could also face prosecution. There are a several weight-checking devices for commercial vehicles that confirm whether your van has the correct payload. Speak to the Reflex Vehicle Hire sales team about how we can help.

Give up smoking

The government wants to ban all petrol and diesel vehicle sales by 2035, so is it time you looked at an alternative to smoky exhausts? There is a growing range of electric cars and vans available that can enable emission-free journeys to reduce pollution, maintain access to low-emission zones and keep running costs down. Reflex Vehicle Hire is working with fleets to support them as they adapt their fleet policies in response to the government’s Road to Zero strategy, including supplying one of the widest ranges of clean-fuel vehicles on the market.

Lisa Spong, Sales Director for Reflex Vehicle Hire, said:

“As fleet vehicles are returned to the road, now is a great opportunity to review how they are being used and where potential cost savings might be. The team at Reflex Vehicle Hire can provide a wide range of support to fleet operators as business demand returns, along with expert advice on where to find potential savings to deliver long-term fleet cost reductions.”

To learn about how Reflex Vehicle Hire can get your vehicles fleet fit, contact our sales team for more information.

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