Category: Press Release

Cemplas Waterproofing and Concrete Repairs is replacing spreadsheet-based fleet management processes with a new FleetCheck system.

The Surrey-based business, founded in 1969, has adopted the software specialist’s Essential level package for the running of its 34 cars and vans, as well as its grey fleet.

Jo Burton, office manager at Cemplas Waterproofing and Concrete Repairs, explained there were three key objectives behind the move – ensuring all fleet information was easily available, using technology to speed up manual processes, and making sure that the fleet was compliant.

“Under our old system, I’d have to physically search through spreadsheets stored in various locations and finding the right information was both difficult and time-consuming.

“Now, everything we need is in one place and it’s so much easier, whether booking service and maintenance, processing fuel invoices, or ensuring relevant safety checks are carried out.

“It’s not just a question of our fleet management now being faster and more accurate, or the time saved from using the FleetCheck technology, but the high level of stress surrounding vehicle operations has disappeared. We’re much more confident in our fleet processes.”

The platform is also being used to improve the company’s grey fleet management, Jo said: “Previously, the in-house fleet was my priority. Now, all vehicles used on company business are on FleetCheck, including our grey fleet, and each receives the same level of attention.”

Cemplas Waterproofing and Concrete Repairs has also adopted FleetCheck’s LicenceAssured licence checking software for a total of 75 drivers. Automated checks, alerts, and a comprehensive reporting dashboard are helping ensure compliance and improve drive communication

Jo said: “This has been a game-changer in compliance terms. I simply enter the names of our drivers and the system does everything else, only notifying us if there is a problem.”

Peter Golding, CEO at FleetCheck, said: “We’re very pleased to see Cemplas Waterproofing and Concrete Repairs benefitting so strongly from the adoption of our systems. Especially for smaller fleets, the move away from spreadsheet-based processes to specialist fleet software can be little short of revelatory.”

News that Vauxhall is cancelling the launch of its new hydrogen panel van is a “major blow” for fleet adoption of the fuel in the UK, says FleetCheck.

Peter Golding, CEO at the fleet software specialist, said the model would have provided the best available chance for operators to assess the viability of hydrogen in real world conditions.

“We have been arguing for some time that hydrogen has a potentially important part to play in the future of zero emissions vehicles, especially in the light commercial sector where electrification is proving difficult for many businesses.

“The Vauxhall van promised a very real opportunity for that to happen and the news their parent company Stellantis has decided to halt all production plans until at least the end of the decade is a major blow. We believed the UK launch was imminent.”

He said the reasons cited by Stellantis – poor availability of refuelling facilities, the high investment required and insufficient incentives to purchase – were all understandable, but this remained a disappointing moment.

“We talk to operators every day who would like to electrify their van fleet but are hitting issues with range, payload and charging times. The promise of hydrogen is that it offers zero emissions without any of these compromises, and the Vauxhall proposition was the opportunity to try this in the form of a familiar vehicle from a major manufacturer.

“Yes, significant hurdles would’ve remained, the biggest of which was the almost complete absence of a refuelling infrastructure. However, with no van, there is no way forward.”

Peter pointed out the Stellantis decision followed a recent announcement from BMW that its new hydrogen car would not be coming to the UK because of the lack of fuelling facilities.

“In making that announcement, BMW called on the UK government to match the EU’s ambition for a hydrogen filling station every 120 kilometres but that level of commitment hasn’t stopped Stellantis cancelling their van across the whole Europe. That’s a sad fact you can’t help but feel could weight on future political thinking about hydrogen.

“While some truck and bus options remain, it feels as though in car and van terms, the hydrogen project is in decline and even effectively dormant for the foreseeable future.”

The MOT test failure rate for fleets using the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) Earned Recognition scheme is a third of other operators, new data from FleetCheck shows.

The figures were compiled following recent news that the DVSA and Department for Transport (DfT) have decided not to add delegated MOT testing to Earned Recognition, a move met with widespread industry disappointment.

FleetCheck’s figures, covering more than 72,000 HGV and trailer records from 2023 onwards, show the MOT failure rate to be 1.56% for Earned Recognition fleets compared to 4.54% for others.

Barrie Wilson, the company’s commercial fleet consultant, said: “Our software is Earned Recognition approved and we can therefore see from our data the levels of compliance achieved by these fleets. Set alongside other operators, their performance is impressive.

“Not only is there a marked difference in the failure rate but in the pass rate, too. Earned Recognition fleets are hitting a 95.74% pass rate, against 91.97% for their non-ER counterparts.”

He added that while his company fully supported and shared the DVSA and DfT’s commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards, the data told a compelling story.

“For Earned Recognition fleets using systems like ours, compliance isn’t just assessed once a year – it’s monitored daily against DVSA KPIs. An MOT provides a snapshot in time, whereas ER delivers a continuous picture of performance. While we are, to a large extent, agnostic in this debate, when operators are already consistently meeting or exceeding these benchmarks, delegated testing arguably becomes a logical next step.”

FleetCheck’s role in Earned Recognition was to provide the technological infrastructure that enables real-time KPI reporting and 360-degree fleet compliance visibility, Barrie said.

“With a dedicated Earned Recognition dashboard and tailored reporting tools, accredited fleets can benchmark their performance year-on-year and gain a live, day-to-day understanding of how they’re tracking against DVSA standards.”

The DVSA’s Earned Recognition is a voluntary scheme that allows fleets to prove they meet driver and vehicle standards by continuously monitoring their own compliance using approved software such as FleetCheck’s.

Eliminating unexpected vehicle off road (VOR) issues is the target behind adoption of FleetCheck fleet management software by London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council.

The local authority, which operates 350 commercial vehicles including 3.5 tonne vans, refuse trucks, cage tippers and specialised road sweepers, is now using the FleetCheck Professional platform

Saad Mia, fleet co-ordinator, said: “As a council, we oversee a wide range of essential services, from pest control and waste collection to school transport and facilities management. Relying on a specialised fleet of vehicles, we wanted a more cohesive approach across all of these departments to streamline fleet processes and increase their effectiveness.

“Especially, we wanted to reduce or eliminate VOR issues. If a vehicle is unavailable, we often can’t deliver a service, so it’s very important for us to keep the fleet on the road.”

Adopting FleetCheck has allowed Tower Hamlets to take a more thorough and proactive approach to maintenance thanks to real-time scheduling, custom alerts, and cross-team collaboration that has driven higher levels of compliance.

Saad said: “Previously, outdated or difficult-to-access information caused oversight issues, such as missed MOT tests, permit expiration dates and TG99 temporary vehicle prohibitions. These lapses meant operational disruptions and unexpected VOR events.

“Previously, the fleet operations were largely paper based and the main challenge was trying to gather all our information together in a single place and access it quickly. Through FleetCheck, we’ve been able to create a central database for scheduling. Automated alerts have replaced spreadsheets, and the ability to customise and leave notes on the system has been game-changing for us. Currently, our VOR rate is zero, which is a huge step forward.”

The platform is also being used to create efficiencies in a wide range of other areas, he added.

“The software is very simple to use and easy to customise. For example, we have set up customer alerts for parking permits. That was previously carried out on spreadsheets but our handling using the platform is now much more efficient.”

Peter Golding, CEO at FleetCheck, said: “We’re very pleased to be working with Tower Hamlets Council. Our user base includes many local authorities and government bodies, and we were able to quickly gain insight into their fleet needs and deliver on their priorities.”

To explore the full story in detail, read the complete case study.

Fleets should back new calls for the UK government to match EU targets aimed at creating at least one hydrogen filling station for every 120 miles of major road by 2030, FleetCheck says.

The fleet software specialist believes this level of ambition of network expansion is needed if vehicle operators are to maximise the potential of all possible zero emissions fuel choices.

Peter Golding, CEO at FleetCheck, said: “At a hydrogen summit last week, BMW said that they won’t bring their new fuel cell model to the UK because of the lack of infrastructure, and called for the UK to show the same kind of commitment as the EU.

“We’re in a situation where an almost complete absence of infrastructure means we’re in danger of being left behind when it comes to hydrogen, even though there seems to be general agreement among fleets that it has a definite role to play in the future.”

Hydrogen especially appeared to have appeal for commercial vehicle operators, he added, where the adoption of battery electric vehicles was proving slow due to compromises around range and payload.

“It’s widely recognised, for example, that adoption of electric vans is much slower than originally anticipated and, as yet, there are no real answers to the problems that some fleets are experiencing in operational terms.

“There is already a potentially viable zero emissions alternative in the shape of Vauxhall’s new hydrogen van, which offers 250 miles of range and five-minute refuelling. However, unless you can afford to bunker fuel, it’s not a practical proposition owing to the lack of stations.”

UK fleets would benefit from a more balanced government approach that promoted a range of zero emissions fuel options, he added.

“It seems obvious to operators that some fuel choices are more suitable for certain applications but the UK government approach appears to be almost entirely centred on battery electric vehicles, simply because they are available here and now.

“With the recent changes made to the ZEV Mandate providing some more breathing space for the motor industry, one of the potential beneficiaries could be the hydrogen sector, with an investment made in infrastructure. UK fleets should be calling for this to happen.

“The danger is that other manufacturers will come to the same conclusion as BMW, deciding there is little point in bringing their hydrogen models to a country where availability of the fuel is almost non-existent.”

A round of dramatic price cuts by Chinese manufacturers in their domestic market this weekend has raised the possibility of a similar strategy being adopted in the UK, FleetCheck says.

The Financial Times is reporting that BYD has “fired a new salvo in a prolonged price war” by reducing prices of 20 different models by up to 34% with other manufacturers following suit. Share values have fallen as a result.

Peter Golding, CEO at the fleet software specialist, said: “This looks very much like a strategy by BYD to bear reduced margins in order to gain market share and place pressure on the viability of domestic rivals in terms of profitability, and future research and development, something that we highlighted a couple of years.

“The question it raises is, if they and other manufacturers are willing to do this in China, what would be stopping them adopting similar measures in the UK and other markets? BYD are already outselling Tesla in Europe, so they could soon have sufficient market mass that price cuts could cause genuine disruption.

“The EU and US have raised tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles but the UK has resisted following suit. Presumably, such measures could be rapidly adopted in the event of any price war arising here but the temptation to discount by manufacturers with huge capacity and deep pockets must be considerable.”

Peter said that any prospective EV price war would be a double-edged sword for UK fleets.

“On the one hand, everyone wants to see cheaper EVs in the market in order to accelerate adoption but there has been so much disruption in this sector during the last couple of years, especially over residual values, that any disorderly marketing is likely to bring a great deal of fear and uncertainty for vehicle operators.

“What we have seen from the larger Chinese manufacturers so far is a structured approach to entering the UK market, recruiting credible dealer networks and creating impressive parts distribution facilities. Any price war would surely be damaging to the trust created by this kind of hard work?

“What we are seeing lately in the UK are noticeable but relatively controlled EV price reductions over time and this seems to us an approach that is much more in tune with the kind of thinking we see among the fleets with which we work.”

Safeguarding compliance and cutting vehicle off-road (VOR) times are behind a decision by M&Y Construction to adopt FleetCheck fleet management software.

The St Helens-based, family-owned building and maintenance business operates 228 cars and vans, and has progressed from using spreadsheets to FleetCheck’s Professional level system.

Justin Toole, fleet manager, explained: “As our company has grown, it’s been increasingly difficult to manage the fleet using spreadsheets, and we became concerned there was an growing risk of human error and potential oversights.

“We began to look at specialist fleet management solutions and, in terms of our needs, FleetCheck seemed ahead of the curve. Dealing with them has been very straightforward and the move to the new system was fast and seamless.”

Significant improvements were already being seen when it comes to ensuring compliance and reducing VOR, he said.

“These are two key areas for us. Being ISO accredited, we must always be audit-ready, and the software is playing a fundamental role in demonstrating risk mitigation. When the auditors next visit, I’ll be confident because the system makes it easy to review everything and show we’re fully compliant.

“We’ve also taken big steps forward in minimising VOR. Whenever a breakdown occurs, it’s a major issue for us because our engineers have appointments scheduled all day and we don’t want to let customers down. Our accent is now very much on preventative maintenance. If a particular vehicle needs a service every two years or every 15,000 miles, FleetCheck reminds you when it’s due. By doing all the basics right, the number of problems is falling.”

Justin added that the software’s comprehensive reporting suite was proving useful for M&Y’s budgeting and auditing processes, as well as for monthly operations meetings where key information about the fleet could be presented to directors and heads of service.

“We can now generate many kinds of reports, including taxes, MOT tests and driving licences. As a fleet manager, it makes sure that all the information I need is where I need it.”

Peter Golding, CEO at FleetCheck, said: “Compliance and VOR are two areas where we have worked very hard to ensure our software meets and exceeds the needs of a wide variety of fleets, and we’re very pleased to see that it is proving so effective for M&Y.”