Flexible vehicle hire for heartbeat fleets

Companies are using flexible vehicle hire to develop ‘heartbeat fleets’ in response to rapid changes in customer demand for goods and services caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Since the start of the year, firms have been through several growth cycles; the economy initially expanded at the start of the year before the arrival of COVID-19 and the first lockdown, which abruptly stopped trade.

The easing of restrictions in the past few months saw renewed growth, but with a second national lockdown planned for Thursday 5th November, trade volumes are likely to fall again in many sectors.

In this environment, it is difficult to commit to long-term spending on cars and vans. Instead, companies want their vehicle numbers to rise and fall to reflect business demand, just like the trace of a heartbeat.

Sometimes the fleet size will peak following a contract win, but at other times it might drop sharply as economic conditions change, or new government restrictions are introduced.

A ‘heartbeat fleet’ uses flexible vehicle hire to respond to the changing pulse of business demand, so that vehicles can be returned without financial penalties. When circumstances change, more vehicles can be added quickly using flexible hire and kept for as long as required.

This avoids long-term leases or ownership that could lead to unused vehicles sitting on a company’s books when they are not needed.

This also means businesses can cost effectively operate a new and up-to-date fleet. Many companies that use long-term leases are agreeing contract extensions to avoid committing to new vehicles that might not be needed in a few months, which is creating reliability and safety challenges for managers.

As a flexible fleet supplier, Reflex Vehicle Hire can ensure fleet demand and supply are perfectly matched with a flow of the newest, safest vehicles that can be increased or decreased according to business needs.

Lisa Spong, Reflex Vehicle Hire Sales Director, said:

“Flexibility is becoming a critical factor for fleets in the current economic climate, where change can occur so rapidly.

Reflex Vehicle Hire ensures that companies can flex their fleet size, to operate an efficient and safe fleet that is always matched to business needs.”

To review the full selection of vehicles and services available from Reflex Vehicle Hire, contact a member of our expert team or explore our website, including our Vehicle Selection page and Telematics section.