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Kay Saunders has been named to the newly-created role of head of client experience at fleet software specialist FleetCheck.

She will hold responsibilities across three key areas –new client onboarding, client services, and account management for larger fleets.

Her experience includes spending the last four years as head of global fleet operations at Polestar Performance AB in Sweden. Previously, she fulfilled a number of sales and marketing roles for nearly two decade at both Volvo Car UK and Volvo Car Group.

Kay said: “I’m delighted to be joining FleetCheck in this phase of the company’s development. There has clearly been considerable expansion during the last few years and the plans to continue this trajectory in the future are impressive.”

“My part will be to ensure that we are able to demonstrate a culture that means our team is committed to consistently delivering exceptional service, meaning that at every touchpoint with FleetCheck, clients are delighted.”

“This ranges from onboarding, with the first real experience that clients will have with us apart from the sales team, through to account manager for larger clients with a greater number of diversity of vehicles.”

Her arrival follows two other recent appointments at FleetCheck – Callum Hayman-Collins as Chief Operating Officer and Sarah Bengochea as Head of Marketing – that are designed to prepare the company for its next phase of expansion.

Peter Golding, CEO, added: “We’d like to welcome Kay on board. She has extensive experience of the fleet sector at the highest level and will, we are sure, make a significant contribution to FleetCheck in the years to come.”

“With these appointments – and more to follow – we feel as though we are really gearing up for the future of the company, with the right people and products to push forward in the fleet software sector.”

The government’s decision to allow hybrids to stay on sale until 2035 creates a potential window of opportunity for hydrogen van technology to become more widely adopted, says FleetCheck.

Peter Golding, CEO, at the fleet software specialist said the additional time meant both that manufacturers could invest more in vehicles, and government and private businesses in refuelling infrastructure.

“Hydrogen has always looked the best zero emissions alternative if electric vans prove unsuitable for some applications because of issues with range, payload and charging. However, the previous lack of clarity around government zero emissions policy made it seem solutions would need to be in place by the end of the decade, which was unlikely.

“Now, we arguably have an extra five years during which hydrogen technology and infrastructure can be developed, which changes the picture considerably. It creates the opportunity to make hydrogen much more of a viable option for fleets.”

Peter said that the ZEV Mandate meant that businesses would still need to be buying electric vans in large quantities by 2030 but that the extra five years would allow a portfolio approach to fuel types to be adopted.

“It’s now possible to envisage a future where van fleets switch out of diesel into electric for lighter duty applications, and from diesel to petrol hybrid and then hydrogen for longer routes with heavier payloads. Given the technological and legislative boundaries that we currently know about, this makes sense.”

The practicality of this strategy would very much depend on the development of hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure, he added, with both in very short supply today.

“There is currently one hydrogen van on sale and a handful of fuelling stations, so there is much to do. However, several manufacturers have been working on hydrogen technology – based on both fuel cells and internal combustion engines – and implementing this in vans could be carried out relatively easily.

“Fuelling is a definite issue but there is, of course, also investment in hydrogen for trucks and other larger commercial vehicles, so there is potential synergy there. Given that hydrogen refuelling is just like filling up a diesel van, there doesn’t need to be thousands of pumps but there do need to be a sufficient number in good locations.

“It would be useful for the new government to recognise the potential of hydrogen and take more of a structured lead in this area, and we hope to see some movement here soon.”

The government needs to align all its policies designed to encourage electric company car adoption in the forthcoming Budget, says FleetCheck.

Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software specialist, points out that it would be premature for the Chancellor to assume that this market was now mature and more revenue could be clawed back.

“We’ve been watching the new government and have some slight concerns. While it is calculated using a formula, the recent reduction in advisory electricity rates (AER) was worrying, especially when the energy price cap is increasing.

“There’s always been a strong argument that AER rates are too low and reducing them further in this way sends out a potentially discouraging message to anyone thinking of choosing an electric company car. Our hope is that it is not a sign of things to come.”

Especially, Peter pointed out, the Government should not use the Budget to announce rapid future increases in benefit in kind (BIK) taxation on electric company cars.

“We currently have BIK tables though to 2027/28 and it would be fair to describe the rises they detail as careful. Rates are clearly being kept low to encourage further electric car adoption over time.

“What we don’t want to see is a sudden jump in future BIK because that would affect company car choices being made today, given typical replacement cycles. This could especially discourage electric car adoption at a point in time when there is already an underlying trend developing towards plug-in hybrids among some drivers.”

What had happened with electric company cars in the fleet market to date was effectively the gathering of low hanging fruit, Peter warned, and the next phase could be more difficult.

“It would be a mistake to look at the progress made in fleet car electrification to date and assume that the trend will continue at the same rate. Drivers who haven’t chosen an electric car so far are those who, for example, have no drive on which to install a charger and therefore no easy access to low-cost charging.

“In order to bring those drivers on board, the Government needs to not just keep BIK low, but also ensure that AER rates match electricity prices effectively, and that the installation of on-street charging is properly funded.

“Everything needs to be aligned and the signals in favour of EV adoption need to be clear in order for the market to continue to respond positively. We very much hope to see this happen on October 30th.”

Helping fleets access lower insurance costs by proving they represent a better risk is the aim of new affinity partnership signed by FleetCheck.

1st Choice Insurance are a specialist fleet broker based in Shrewsbury, who represent a panel of the UK’s largest and most experienced fleet insurers.

The two companies are working together to identify fleets that are managing risk well and producing good results, something that can be tracked through FleetCheck’s software.

Callum Watkins, managing director at 1st Choice, said: “The insurers with which we work are looking for fleets that represent a lower than usual risk. They want to build a client base of businesses that are controlling their risk successfully through a defined and effective strategy.

“The fact that a business is a FleetCheck customer and has sufficient interest in risk to buy software in order to manage it is a good sign for insurers, but the crux is being able to produce information that shows how well this is working.

“Of course, this won’t feed through into premiums immediately but we are generally able to offer rebates to fleets in year one based on their performance and also help them to contain costs over the longer term as we build a picture of their risk through data.

“Over time, we hope to build a joint client base with FleetCheck that is recognised as a high quality ‘book’ of fleets by insurers, and who will receive preferential treatment as a result.”

Peter Golding, managing director at FleetCheck, added it was looking to help its fleets better understand how to improve their risk profile through the partnership.

“The objective of working with our affinity partners is normally to help our software client base access better services and rates than their current supplier but with 1st Choice, a key part of the arrangement is to help fleets better understand their risk profile.

“Most fleets have seen an increasing cost of claim, based on factors that are largely out of their control such as general inflation and rising cost of vehicle repairs, but much can be done to mitigate premium increases through advice on how insurers perceive risk.

“Effective strategies for reducing insurance costs can range from enhanced safety measures and changes in your fleet composition through to improved driver retention rates and enforced driving standards, all of which can be achieved with the help of our software.”

Matthew Gregory, head of fleet services at 1st Choice said: “Our aim is to talk to FleetCheck customers a couple of months before they are due to renew their insurance and walk them through a process that looks at their claims history and a range of other factors. We aim to get them the best premium with their current record and provide them with a clear roadmap for future improvements.”

FleetCheck’s Affinity Services programme was created in 2020 to offer a range of discounted and enhanced services from providers of essential fleet services to the company’s more than 2,000 customers.

We are thrilled to announce that FleetCheck has been shortlisted as a finalist for the respected “Best Fleet Management Software” award at the 2024 Business Car Awards. This recognition highlights our unwavering dedication to delivering excellence through our innovative software solutions, supported by our firm commitment to client support and industry collaboration.

Being recognised by Business Car, a trusted authority of news and insights for businesses managing car and light van fleets, is an honor. Business Car continues to empower businesses with essential data and insight for optimal fleet management, and being shortlisted by such a respected platform is testament to the quality and versatility of our fleet management solutions.

While Business Car primarily focuses on light vehicles, FleetCheck’s comprehensive platform extends its capabilities across all vehicle categories. This includes support for managing complex, multi-fleet operations, allowing businesses to achieve greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

We extend our gratitude to our clients, partners, and the FleetCheck team for their continuous support and dedication.

Fatigue is being added by FleetCheck to the employee fit-to-drive declaration included in the company’s daily vehicle walkaround safety app.

The fleet software specialist says that there is increasing concern about the dangers of tired drivers among employers and a desire to include it in risk management policies.

Peter Golding, founder and managing director at FleetCheck, said: “Fatigue is something that fleets mention to us more and more, and there seems to be a general growing awareness among businesses about the dangers of being tired behind the wheel.

“The road charity safety Brake says that tired drivers have slower reaction times and suffer from reduced attention, awareness, and ability to control their vehicles. It is a genuine risk management issue.

“One company recently mentioned to me that they had a long-distance van driver with a new baby in the family who was visibly tired, and they were worried about his performance, eventually moving him onto lighter duties than his normal route.

“For the vast majority of employees, this kind of fatigue will be a temporary situation and whatever is causing the tiredness will pass, but it is right that it is taken seriously as a problem that can seriously affect your driving performance.”

The fit-to-drive declaration covers factors including the current health of drivers and any medication they are taking. It is normally included in the FleetCheck app as part of the daily walkaround check that drivers undertake on their vehicles, before getting behind the wheel.

Peter explained: “Obviously, a declaration of this kind is not perfect but it does raise the subject of whether you should be driving in your current state, and emphasises that your employer takes fatigue seriously as a subject.

“That means that if you’re in a situation where you really haven’t slept much for whatever reason, you can raise it with your employer and be taken seriously. For many fleets, that feels like a step forward.”

Two key new cyber security features have been added to fleet software from FleetCheck as interest in the subject continues to grow among fleet operators.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) means that users must provide two methods of identifying themselves – such as a password and a code sent to their phone – before being able to log onto a system. Single sign on (SSO) allows them, once signed in, to access a range of FleetCheck’s platforms without the need to provide new authentication when moving from one to another.

Both measures are designed to reduce the risk created when users employ the same password for many different logins and to ensure that all FleetCheck access is legitimate.

Peter Golding, managing director at FleetCheck, said: “MFA and SSO are essential requirements of both the Cyber Essentials cybersecurity certification scheme from the National Cyber Security Agency and the new, updated version of the ISO 27001 international standard on information security, so we are encouraging our clients to use these features when accessing our services.

“We’re continually looking to enhance the cybersecurity of our fleet software products and enhancements such as these help to protect our client’s data in a world of escalating threats.”

FleetCheck reported last month that it had tracked a much higher interest in cybersecurity during 2024 and that the issue was increasingly helping to drive fleet software sales.

Peter said: “We’re seeing an increasing number of new customers come to us and adopt our software as a direct result of the introduction of corporate cyber security strategies such as Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001.

“From a fleet point of view, this is a very positive development. Businesses running cars and vans hold all kinds of sensitive data – including driver personal details – and there need to be measures in place that ensure a high degree of resilience against malicious parties.”

Whichever party is elected on July 4 should consider rethinking the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate for vans because of a range of issues being faced by fleets.

Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software specialist, said the gap between the capabilities of the vehicles on offer and the needs of many fleets was proving too wide – and there were no easy ways of bridging that divide.

“The massive success of electric company cars in recent years has shown that fleets are willing and able to electrify rapidly and on a large scale. However, the situation for vans is proving much, much more difficult.

“For some fleets that carry lighter loads over shorter distances, and where depot or off-street domestic charging is available, electric van adoption can be relatively simple but for others, there are a whole host of hurdles.

“Limited range and payload, and poor access to overnight charging for drivers living in terraced houses or apartments are very real and widespread problems, as well as more specific difficulties surrounding everything from the 4.25 tonne derogation to 12-volt battery charging. That’s before you get to residual values.

“This situation appears to be having a direct impact on sales, which appear to be flatlining for the moment at least. Unless you are a major business such as a utility company with a strong corporate emphasis on van electrification and the funds to manage that transition, interest is relatively weak.”

Peter said that, given these difficulties, the ZEV Mandate target of 70% of all van sales being electric by 2030 looked potentially unrealistic.

“That’s just six years away which means, for most van fleets, not much more than one replacement cycle. The structural problems that fleets are facing seem extremely difficult to solve in that timespan.

“Whoever wins power will need to do is look at this issue today before it becomes acute later in the decade. It seems clear that either some form of support or incentive – similar to low benefit in kind taxation for electric cars – will be needed, alongside a massive expansion of low-cost on-street charging.

“We are already talking to fleets who are thinking about keeping hold of their diesel vans for as long as possible in order to delay the switch to electrification. If a government policy is directly leading fleets to consider hanging onto much more polluting vehicles for longer, it is probably the wrong policy.”