The first of 170 light commercial vehicles are to be delivered this month by ALD Automotive to Evander Glazing & Locks following the signing of a major new fleet outsourcing contract between the two companies.
Norwich-headquartered Evander Glazing & Locks was the subject of a management buy-out from Homeserve last year and subsequently decided to consolidate the supply and management of its fleet through one supplier. A competitive tender was won by ALD Automotive with a fleet of more than 50,000 vehicles, which is now supplying new vehicles and managing out the legacy fleet.
Evander Glazing & Locks operates a Ford Transit-dominated diesel light commercial fleet of 270 vehicles, which will now be leased on four-year/100,000 mile contracts with mileage pooling. The companys new vans are being customised by specialist in-vehicle fitment supplier Bri-Stor Systems.
Additionally, the business operates a 58-strong user-chooser company car fleet with vehicles currently both leased and operated via an employee car ownership (ECO) scheme, with an additional nine employees who have taken a cash alternative to a company car. Company cars are run on three or four-year replacement cycles depending on mileage and the previous diesel-only policy will now be extended to give drivers the option of hybrid and petrol models, provided they suit both business requirements and driver lifestyles.
However, under the new arrangement with ALD Automotive, Evander Glazing & Locks has decided not to offer an ECO option as it believes, in its particular circumstances, it is less financially viable and will instead only offer company car drivers the choice of leasing a vehicle or a cash opt-out. In the future, as a further staff benefit, all employees are likely to be given access to AutoChoice Benefits Direct, ALD Automotives affinity scheme, which offers new, nearly new and used cars at discounted rates.
The comprehensive outsourced service being delivered by ALD Automotive will see it supply a wide range of services including fleet management, fleet maintenance, accident management and short-term car hire. Evander Glazing & Locks fleet manager Richard Tuck said: We wanted to simplify our fleet supplier structure and move to a sole supply arrangement. In ALD Automotive we have selected a company that can meet all our requirements going forward to exacting standards, while managing out our existing vehicles.
A further crucial element in the companys decision to select ALD Automotive was access to the leasing firms industry-leading suite of online fleet management applications to aid administration efficiencies. Mr Tuck said: Online management reporting is of paramount importance. It is something we have enjoyed before, but with the consolidation of the fleet through ALD Automotive it means I now have a complete one-stop overview of our entire operation.
Outsourcing the fleet to a specialist company aids operating efficiency and effectiveness, but we are ultimately responsible for the vehicles so I need to undertake internal checks and audits to make sure Evander Glazing & Locks is legally compliant. Using ALD Automotives online management systems ensures that I can complete that process.
ALD Automotive managing director Keith Allen said: Our comprehensive menu of funding options and wide range of services as well as our threesixty suite of management reports has once again proved highly attractive to a major fleet. We are delighted to be working with Evander Glazing & Locks on a sole supply basis and as business partners we are looking forward to further expansion.
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