BVRLA News - May/June 2015

May/June 2015

www.bvrla.co.uk

BVRLA News The bimonthly newsletter of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association

Counterpart abolition: resilient rental sector BVRLA rental members showed true resilience and a keen focus on customer service in June as they dealt with the abolition of the paper counterpart to the driving licence.

Website wobbles, call centre crashes and a media frenzy – car rental companies took them all in their stride as the main victims of a government digitisation project that was rushed through and poorly communicated.

about the counterpart abolition and new procedures that needed to be followed.

Feedback so far suggests that around 70% of customers are arriving at rental desks with the required Share Driving Licence codes and documentation.

Awareness will continue to grow, but rental members have found it more difficult to communicate new arrangements with customers that have booked through brokers.

The DVLA’s View Driving Licence website struggled in the first 24 hours following the abolition, but recovered strongly. By the end of that first post-abolition week it had handled over 250,000 licence views and provided 133,000 Share Driving Licence codes that rental companies could use to check driver endorsements and entitlements.

“The abolition of the paper counterpart is a great idea that has been poorly implemented by the government,” said BVRLA Chief Executive Gerry Keaney.

The absence of a DVLA communications campaign in the run up to the abolition meant that it was even more essential for BVRLA members to brief their customers

“We are continuing to take feedback from a wide cross-section of members and this is being fed back to the government at a very senior level.” u

“Nonetheless, the vehicle rental sector has shown a remarkable level of resilience and flexibility in making the best of a potentially bad situation.

Plug In Car Grant latest As BVRLA News went to press, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles clarified the status of the Plug-In Car Grant, which is applicable to vehicles such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (left).

Uncertainty around the grant’s future had led to a number of leasing members removing the £5,000 incentive from their quotation systems.

OLEV has now confirmed that the current grant will end this year, at a date to be confirmed. Until that date, it will honour any deal placed on its system for a qualifying car, provided the vehicle is registered within nine months.

New BVRLA chairman Find out who has taken over from Peter Cakebread as chairman of the BVRLA, plus the changes to the BVRLA’s other committees. page 4 Fleet Technology survey goes live Be in with a chance of winning an Apple Watch Sport by giving the BVRLA your opinion on fleet technology. page 5 Karting race raises £6,000 for charity The third annual Broker200 race took place last month - read our full race report to find out who won. page 6 Research Update A look at the results from the BVRLA’s Quarterly Leasing Survey. Plus, statistics on leasing brokers and rental companies. page 9 BVRLA calls on DfT to change HGV rules Changes to Driver CPC regulations could impact up to a fifth of the BVRLA’s commercial vehicle rental and leasing members. page 10 Focus on training The BVRLA is strengthening the learning and development opportunities available to members. page 11

• Promoting responsible road transport since 1967 •

The BVRLA team BVRLA Chief Executive Gerry Keaney 01494 545716, gerry@bvrla.co.uk Secretary to the Chief Executive Kate McLaren 01494 545709, kate@bvrla.co.uk Management Accountant Bharti Ladwa 01494 545708, bharti@bvrla.co.uk Director of Communications & External Relations Toby Poston 01494 545700, toby@bvrla.co.uk Research & Insight Manager Hazel Collier 01494 545717, hazel@bvrla.co.uk Media & Communications Officer Jamie Fretwell 01494 545710, jamie@bvrla.co.uk Marketing & Communications Administrator Tamsin Stuczynska 01494 545707, tamsin@bvrla.co.uk Head of Member Services Nora Leggett 01494 545713, nora@bvrla.co.uk Member Services Executive Robert Burford 01494 545702, robert@bvrla.co.uk Events Executive Felisha Weekes 01494 545703, felisha@bvrla.co.uk Learning & Development Professional Gursh Gill 01494 545719, gursh@bvrla.co.uk Director of Policy & Membership Jay Parmar 01494 545706, jay@bvrla.co.uk Membership Manager Greg Theaker 01494 545705, greg@bvrla.co.uk Membership Administrator June Dyer 01494 545714, june@bvrla.co.uk Senior Policy Advisor Patrick Cusworth 01494 545712, patrick@bvrla.co.uk Legal & Policy Executive Sallie Catchpole 01494 545715, sallie@bvrla.co.uk Compliance Officer Natasha Howard 01494 545701, natasha@bvrla.co.uk Legal & Policy Executive Karl Shadenbury 01494 545701, karl@bvrla.co.uk Legal & Policy Administrator Stephen Dix 01494 545711, stephen@bvrla.co.uk Legal & Policy Administrator Sarah Philp 01494 545711, sarah@bvrla.co.uk

Comment

By Gerry Keaney, BVRLA Chief Executive

Focussing on end of contract can improve customer retention Most companies have a very good idea of how they go about winning new clients, but the goodbye is just as important as the hello when it comes to delivering great customer service.

Whether you are renting or leasing vehicles, the end of contract process is a vital part of winning the customer retention battle. How you handle it can provide some very positive word of mouth marketing, or see your brand named and shamed on social media.

The rental sector is used to working under this spotlight, but the rapid growth in popularity of personal leasing means that this sector is now also facing more scrutiny from consumer organisations and regulators.

When it comes to end of contract issues, it is very rare for the customer or vehicle provider to be 100% right or wrong. In fact, many of the issues which arise are caused by poor communication.

This is why end of contract communications, transparency and dispute resolution are at the heart of the changes we are making to the BVRLA Code of Conduct, governance regime and Fair, Wear and Tear standards. In all these areas, we will be providing clearer guidance for members on what customers should be told and when this should happen.

We will also be taking the message to customers, reminding them of the responsibilities they have and the simple steps they can take to prevent any end-ofcontract unpleasantness.

As ever, we will continue to share best practice with our members while maintaining a constant dialogue with customers, consumer groups and regulators. We believe that these steps will see the BVRLA logo become even more of a quality-standard benchmark for customers. u

The British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association River Lodge, Badminton Court Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP7 0DD Tel 01494 434747 Fax 01494 434499 Email info@bvrla.co.uk Web www.bvrla.co.uk Š Copyright BVRLA 2015.

BVRLA News articles may be used copyright free by members provided that an acknowledgement is given.

Honorary Life President Freddie Aldous Chairman Simon Oliphant

BVRLA News | May/June 2015

Vice Chairman Peter Cakebread Honorary Treasurer Brian Back

3

NEWS

Oliphant becomes BVRLA chairman Simon Oliphant has taken over from Peter Cakebread as chairman of the BVRLA. Having worked for Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions for 25 years, Simon Oliphant has been involved with the BVRLA since joining the Leasing and Fleet Management Committee in 2001. He became Chairman of the same committee after a decade, and joined the BVRLA’s Committee of Management in 2011.

Marshall Leasing’s Peter Cakebread has completed his two-year term as chairman, but will remain working with the association in his new role as vice-chairman of the BVRLA.

Simon said: “I am delighted with my new position at the BVRLA, which gives me the opportunity to put something back into the industry I have been associated with for more than 30 years.”

“As Chairman, my first priority is to ensure we continue the excellent work that has been overseen by Peter, Gerry and the BVRLA’s other committee members. My career at Hitachi has given me the opportunity to work with small, medium and large companies in different roles. This makes me ideally placed to work with all BVRLA members and fully represent its diverse membership, which continues to grow across each sector.”

Simon has already identified some priorities in his new position. “I’d like to develop stronger relationships with the newly-formed government around key issues such as taxation, safety, the environment and technology, enhancing the BVRLA’s authoritative voice. I am also passionate about training and development, and would like to see the BVRLA play a bigger role in this.”

As BVRLA Chairman, Simon is responsible for leading the BVRLA Committee of Management.

Two Committee members gained additional responsibilities at the 2015 Annual General Meeting.

Tuskerdirect’s David Hosking is now Chairman of the BVRLA’s Leasing and Fleet Management Committee, while Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Brian Swallow is now Chairman of the association’s Rental Committee.

Making way for this pair are Robert Shaw of Europcar and Keith Allen of ARI Fleet UK. Both will remain a part of their respective committees as vice chairmen.

Planning: Chief Executive Gerry Keaney discusses new Chairman Simon Oliphant’s plans for the association

Elsewhere in BVRLA committees, Mike Potter of Fleet Drive has replaced PHVC’s Paul Huxford as chairman of the association’s Leasing Broker Committee. u

New Government; surprise July Budget Following his General Election victory, David Cameron has confirmed his Cabinet.

David Gauke. His responsibilities include the environment and transport taxation.

The Department for Transport, continues to be headed by Patrick McLoughlin as Transport Secretary, but new ministers include Andrew Jones and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, who will be responsible for managing the transport agencies, as well as the better regulation initiative within the transport sector.

The BVRLA is looking to arrange meetings with Rory Stewart at Defra to discuss air quality, BIS minister Anna Soubry about low emission vehicles, and new Communities and Local Government Secretary Greg Clark, to continue dialogue around parking practices.

At HM Treasury, Damian Hinds is the new Exchequer Secretary, replacing

4

Since the Election, the Chancellor has announced an emergency Budget on 8 July. The BVRLA

has called for First Year Capital Allowances to be applicable to lease cars, and urged the chancellor to reconsider how low-emission cars are classed for Company Car Tax. u The BVRLA continues to engage with various Government departments, on all matters of policy relating to the sector. For more information, please contact Patrick Cusworth: Contact Patrick Cusworth 01494 545712 Patrick@bvrla.co.uk

May/June 2015 | BVRLA News

CV Informer goes live

The BVRLA is supporting a new action plan to drive the growth of car club members in London.

The association is working with Transport for London (TfL), London Councils, the Greater London Authority (GLA), Carplus and a range of car club operators in a new Car Club Coalition. The Coalition has published a strategy which sets out an action plan to see the number of London car club members reach one million in the next decade.

BVRLA surveys the fleet industry ahead of 2015 Technology Congress The BVRLA is again asking for the fleet industry’s opinions on new automotive technology.

Fleet operators, suppliers and company car drivers are invited to give their views on the latest vehicle developments as part of the BVRLA’s Fleet Technology survey. Topics covered include attitudes towards telematics, safety technology and autonomous driving.

Respondents will be entered in to a prize draw to win an Apple Watch Sport, and the results of the survey will be published at the Fleet Technology Congress on 1 July.

Taking place at the Williams F1 Conference Centre in Grove, Oxfordshire, the Congress is sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover, Trak Global and Kee Resources.

It will explore the latest issues facing the sector, identifying the main challenges and opportunities for members and their customers.

BVRLA News | May/June 2015

BVRLA Chief Executive Gerry Keaney said: “The Fleet Technology Congress will provide attendees with a fantastic opportunity to network, discuss and gather insight on a wide range of new trends and business models impacting the vehicle rental and leasing sector.

“The results of the Survey will follow on from the excellent work we started last year and gather the views of the fleet industry on a number of new automotive technologies and their potential impact on the wider industry." u To fill in the Fleet Technology Survey, visit https://www. surveymonkey.com/s/Y2L5WTZ If you would like to attend the 2015 Fleet Technology Congress, you can find out more information and book tickets online.

To do so, please visit: http://www. bvrla.co.uk/events/details/fleettechnology-congress-2015

The 2015 CV informer survey is now live and the BVRLA, in partnership with Motor Transport, is compiling its annual report on the commercial vehicle rental, leasing and contract hire sector.

More than 100 companies were involved in last year’s research. This year, the aim is to capture every single business involved in renting and leasing trucks, trailers and vans.

Every participant will receive a report of the full research results, with a key statistics section highlighting how their individual business relates to the rest of the sector as a whole.

A selection of the survey data will be turned into a printed supplement featuring the top 100 rental and leasing companies by fleet size. This magazine will be published on 20 July. u

To ensure your company is represented in the research, contact the BVRLA’s Research and Insights Manager Hazel Collier: Contact Hazel Collier 01494 545717 Hazel@bvrla.co.uk

Dartford MOU in effect

Members can now easily disclose the details of a driver liable for any penalty charge notice incurred by a vehicle which has not paid for the Dartford crossing.

The BVRLA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Highways England which should mean members find it easier to make representations when transferring liability.

The MoU is available for members to download from the BVRLA’s advice webpage: http:// www.bvrla.co.uk/advice/guidance/ dartford-crossing-memorandumunderstanding. u

For further information, please contact Natasha Howard: Contact Natasha Howard 01494 545718 Natasha@bvrla.co.uk

5

FEATURE

Leasing Brokers raise £6,000 for industry charity

The 2015 BVRLA Broker200 took place on 13 May at Daytona Milton Keynes. More than 20 teams of three drivers took part in the racing, as the BVRLA’s Jamie Fretwell reports.

With more than twice as many attendees as the 2014 event, it was clear that the 2015 Broker200 endurance race - organised by the BVRLA’s Leasing Broker Committee would be fiercely competitive.

For the first time in Broker200 history, there had to be two separate safety briefings, as there were far too many participants to squeeze into Daytona’s screening room. When all drivers had been briefed about the rules and regulations, qualifying began.

As the weather improved, the laptimes tumbled. After 25 minutes of fierce qualifying, the Enterprise team qualified at the front of the grid, joined by the Fleetdrive kart.

Sadly, the best that the BVRLA drivers Jamie and Karl could manage was 18th. However, with two-and-a-half

hours of racing ahead, there would be plenty of time to make up places.

field, so the team was happy to cross the line in 16th place.

After an eventful first few laps, in which a number of collisions saw yellow flags litter the circuit, the race settled down. Plenty of overtakes happened throughout the race, and drivers were forced into the pits for mandatory fuel stops and driver changes.

Leasing Broker Committee chairman Mike Potter said: “Once again, the sun shone on Milton Keynes for the third annual Broker200, and we’re really pleased at the number of participants who entered. Their generosity has resulted in a huge amount of money being raised for BEN.”

After 118 laps of competitive racing, the team entered by Enterprise RentA-Car took the chequered flag. The team’s quickest driver Peter Cole also set the fastest lap on the day, with a time of 1.10.428. Second place went to the team from FleetDrive, who trailed the lead car by just 21 seconds. Finishing third was the PHVC kart, just 51 seconds behind the leader. Meanwhile, an early crash left the BVRLA at the back of the

The event was sponsored by Arval, Fleet Alliance, the Small Fleet Leasing Federation and PHVC. u To participate in the 2016 Broker200, register your interest by contacting Jamie Fretwell: Contact Jamie Fretwell 01494 545710 Jamie@bvrla.co.uk

2015 Podium: [from left-to-right] Fleet Drive (2nd place); Enterprise Rent-A-Car (1st place); PHVC (third place)

6

May/June 2015 | BVRLA News

Real-world mpg figures one step closer as EU agrees test procedure The European Union has come a step closer to introducing ‘real world’ air pollution tests for cars and vans after agreeing a more accurate procedure for measuring driving emissions.

The BVRLA has welcomed the agreement and looks forward to the new ‘on the road’ tests for NOx emissions being introduced in 2017 alongside a more accurate CO2 emission test cycle.

The association is calling for the UK to support the EU’s attempts to produce accurate real-world test cycles for CO2 and NOx to improve air quality (see panel, below).

The new procedure agreed by EU regulators will require vehicles to be tested on the road and in traffic, rather than in laboratorylike conditions as is currently the case.

This should provide The more accurate, ‘real world’ NOx emission figures and increase awareness of NOx data which is currently under-reported.

The European Commission and member states still need to agree what the limits for the real world tests will be and whether they can be introduced by 2017. The Commission already has plans to bring in a new, more accurate CO2 test cycle in 2017 – the World Light Duty Test Procedure (WLTP).

“Air pollution is a major threat to public health so it is vital that we can accurately measure

BVRLA News | May/June 2015

the part played by road transport, particularly diesel vehicles,” said BVRLA Chief Executive, Gerry Keaney.

“Over the years, the fleet sector has made excellent progress in driving down CO2 emissions. I am convinced that it can have a similar impact on NOx emissions if it is given accurate information and an appropriate tax regime.

“This agreement is an important milestone in helping Europe get to grips with the issue of road transport based air pollution.” u For more on the BVRLA’s lobbying work, contact Patrick Cusworth:.

Contact Patrick Cusworth 01494 545712 Patrick@bvrla.co.uk

BVRLA’s five-point plan to tackle air quality

CO2-based tax regime is working The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) has published a timely and sensible report into the future of motoring taxation.

The report was commissioned by the SMMT and recognises the huge success of the government’s incentive-based taxation regime, which has helped bring UK CO2 emissions below EU 2015 targets.

The publication also contained calls for a gradual, well-signposted change to VED bandings, road pricing and low-emission zones.

Commenting on the report, BVRLA Chief Executive Gerry Keaney said: “The fleet sector has led this move towards zero emissions – with the average new lease car registered in 2014 emitting just 116.8g/km CO2 – 7% lower than the average for all new registrations. Yet as car CO2 emissions fall, the government needs to act to protect its tax revenues.”

While the BVRLA agrees with the Cebr’s suggestion that sustaining longer-term revenues may need to rely on some form of national road pricing network, the association was quick to insist that any road pricing system must be introduced on a tax-neutral basis.

Keaney added: “The van market is the fastest growing sector of UK road users and it’s about time the LCV VED regime included some kind of incentive that encourages operators to choose cleaner vehicles.” u The Cebr report can be read online at http://tinyurl.com/CebrReport For further information on the BVRLA’s low emission policies, contact Patrick Cusworth: Contact Patrick Cusworth 01494 545712 Patrick@bvrla.co.uk

7

ADVERTORIAL

Treat vans like trucks for top performance Light commercials continue to become more complex and as fleet assets, are increasingly pushed to their absolute limits. It’s for this reason that ATS Euromaster recommends rental and leasing operators approach their van fleets with a truck mentality.

Professional tyre management can have a significant impact on vehicle uptime – protecting van fleets from the single biggest cause of unexpected downtime.

Indeed, fleet availability is as critical for a small plumbing firm hiring a handful of vans, as it is for a national home delivery operator with thousands of 3.5 tonners on contract hire.

rectify them before they result in a costly and inconvenient tyre failure.”

With that in mind, ATS Euromaster has launched its new MasterCARE service, designed to provide easy access to a range of pre-emptive tyre safety checks.

With the top tier level of MasterCARE, expert technicians check tread depths, valve caps and air pressure every month, along with general visual damage checks, ensuring no potential tyre issue is missed. Once completed, ATS Euromaster provides an electronic report detailing tyre condition, work carried out and what is anticipated in the near future.

Prevention, Not Cure Such fleets increasingly see high levels of damage to tyres because larger vans are harder for non-professional drivers to manage. They are frequently in urban environments, battling narrow spaces, high kerbs and challenging workloads.

Quality Feedback Managers can rely on ATS Euromaster to provide honest feedback of exactly what is required to keep their tyres in good condition and ready for customer rental, thanks to a team of inspectors and the largest mobile tyre fitting fleet in the UK.

A delay of just an hour due to a puncture can completely disrupt the end user’s schedule, leading to missed deliveries or appointments. Mike Williams, Head of National Accounts at ATS Euromaster, is a firm believer that prevention is better than cure.

The resulting management reports also contain valuable information highlighting the most costly vehicles to maintain, enabling operators to identify careless driver behaviour through wear patterns or excessive tread loss – and take action to address it.

He says: “Tyre management means managing the tyre as an asset in its own right. Tyre life can often be extended and a better return achieved through methods such as fleet inspections and tyre pressure monitoring. Inspections allow us to help fleets spot issues and

Williams says: “When vehicles are on hire, rental companies are dependent on that customer carrying out daily walkaround checks. But with MasterCARE, there is a second inspection from a true tyre expert. It provides the peace of mind that all tyres are safe, legal and

ATS Euromaster has also launched a pilot which offers a range of service, maintenance and repair facilities for trucks and trailers, designed to make it easy for fleets to get rapid access to expert care.

In addition to offering tyres for trucks and trailers, six centres are now fully trained to supply and fit replacement air cables, electrical coils and suzie lines from an extensive stock – with work carried out either in centre, on-site or at the roadside. They are also offering replacement batteries

being properly maintained, no matter whether a vehicle is in a rental branch or on long-term hire.”

Expert Servicing Fleets can also access far more than just tyre expertise at their local ATS Euromaster centre. More than 200 locations now offer comprehensive vehicle health checks – ideal for giving vans (and cars) returning from long term hire a thorough check before putting them back into service.

For just £20 per vehicle, ATS Euromaster will check the oil, clutch fluid, brake fluid, power-steering fluid and screen wash, with free top-ups as appropriate. Technicians also inspect the dashboard for warning lights, operation of the air-conditioning system, horn, lights, drive belts, wiper blades, washer jets and cooling system. They also remove all wheels for a thorough brake inspection, plus clean and lubricate battery connections where required.

With van fleets under similar pressure to trucks, now is the time to demand truck-style proactive service to ensure your customers can rely on your light commercials to deliver on their promises.

Mike Williams, ATS Euromaster

and air-con servicing, plus a rapid response service for jumpstarting trucks in need of urgent assistance.

ATS Euromaster centres in Birmingham, Avonmouth, Liverpool, Rugby, Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester are taking part in the pilot.

RESEARCH & INSIGHT

R e n t a l m a r k e t

Industry trends

Average rental car emissions fell 8% in 2014, to a record low of 122g/km.

BVRLA members enjoyed an impressive 2014 and have started 2015 just as positively. Hazel Collier rounds up the BVRLA’s latest survey findings.

The drop is due primarily to vehicles that emit less than 120g/km CO2 now forming more than 50% of the rental car fleet.

Some 0.4% of the rental fleet is electric.

Leasing brokers

According to a BVRLA poll of six leading funders, combined broker volumes for car and van leasing grew to 161,775 units in 2014 – up 20% on 2013 volumes.

Vehicles on contract

Fuelling this growth was the popularity of personal contract hire deals, where volumes grew by 39% to 35,242.

For commercial vehicles, van leasing volumes rose 19% to 42,739 units, driven by growth in contract hire (+14%) and finance lease (+27%).

Overall, the popularity of personal contracts increased. Total market share for personal contracts – for both cars and vans – increased from 23% to 26% of the leasing broker fleet in 2014. u

180,000

number of vehicles on contract

Meanwhile, contract hire car volumes grew from 63,797 to 73,140 - a 15% year-on-year increase.

Average utilisation for car and van rental fleets is 77%, with the average rental car spending less than nine months on a fleet and travelling fewer than 13,000 miles.

In 2014, leasing brokers had 161,775 vehicles on contract, after two years of growth.

74% of vehicles were cars – similar to 2011 and 2012.

161,775

160,000 140,000

135,097

123,211

120,000 100,000

42,739

35,919

32,621

80,000 60,000 40,000

90,590

99,178

119,036

2012

2013

2014

20,000 0

10% GROWTH

20% GROWTH

TO ENSURE YOUR COMPANY’S FIGURES ARE INCLUDED IN THESE REPORTS, CONTACT BVRLA RESEARCH & INSIGHTS MANAGER, HAZEL COLLIER: TEL 01494 545717 EMAIL HAZEL@BVRLA.CO.UK

Corporate leasing

The corporate leasing market maintained the strong growth seen in 2014, and van leasing volumes grew 10.5% year-on-year.

The BVRLA estimates that the UK corporate vehicle leasing fleet contains 1.244 million vehicles.

Average emissions for new vehicles added to members’ fleets have fallen to 112.6g/km, while average

BVRLA News | May/June 2015

135

135

average emissions (g/km)

A BVRLA survey has found that leasing members’ car fleets continue to grow, up 6.5% in the first quarter of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014.

CO2 emission trends National average for new registrations

130

130

125

125

BVRLA members : whole fleet

120

120

115

115

BVRLA members : new deliveries 110

110

105

Q3 2012

Q4 2012

Q1 2013

Q2 2013

Q3 2013

Q4 2013

Q1 2014

Q2 2014

Q3 2014

Q4 2014

Q1 2015

100

emissions for the fleets as a whole are 119.5g/km CO2 – 3.5% lower than Q1 2014. This is due, in part, to a trend for corporate leasing

customers to switch from diesel cars to petrol and electric/hybrids (although diesel vehicles still BVRLA New deliveries BVRLA NaAonal Average for new reg dominate the company car parc). u

9

NEWS

The BVRLA has comprehensively overhauled the front end of RISC - its problem renter database.

Fair Wear & Tear guides out now

RISC includes the details of over 10,000 individuals and companies who have been identified as a potential risk based on their previous rental experience.

The BVRLA’s car Fair Wear and Tear guide has undergone a complete transformation, following a lengthy consultation phase with BVRLA members.

The online portal which rental companies use to access this database is in the final stages of a redesign, and is expected to roll out July.

The guide helps consumers understand the standards a member company expects leased or financed vehicles to meet at the end of a contract.

RISC gets refreshed

The portal has been made more user-friendly, with a clear dashboard and a greater focus on corporate customers. Furthermore, it will grant members greater control over what they can see in reports.

RISC contains information that can help in preventing, detecting and controlling fraud and other losses.

Information held on RISC is shared with BVRLA members according to data protection guidelines.

BVRLA members can sign up to

New look: How the BVRLA’s problem renter database will be RISC for free. It can be easily integrated into in-house counter systems and is currently accessible through proprietary counter systems including Rentman and Pro-Hire. u To access RISC, visit www.risconline. com. To sign up to the service or find out more, contact Member Services Executive Rob Burford: Contact Rob Burford 01494 545702 Rob@bvrla.co.uk

BVRLA calls for changes to tachograph rules The Department for Transport needs to change the rules surrounding the tachograph and Driver CPC. The BVRLA believes the current 50km exemption for drivers’ hours and tachographs is not sufficient for around a fifth of all commercial vehicle rental and leasing members.

Currently, employees are exempt from drivers’ hours and tachograph rules when they are travelling within a 50km radius of the vehicle’s usual base, provided that driving the vehicle does not constitute the driver’s main activity. Yet members say this has hindered them when taking vehicles to test and inspection

10

sites, so the BVRLA has called for this exemption to be increased to 100km as part of a consultation.

Meanwhile, the BVRLA has also responded to a number of consultations from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on consumer credit, complaints handling and promotions on social media. The BVRLA has opposed blanket regulation of the leasing broker sector, and called for sectorspecific examples to be provided with guidance that is issued. u All consultation responses are available to view and download on the BVRLA’s website: www.bvrla. co.uk/policy

While there have been no changes to the standard that describes the degree of acceptable deterioration, the guide is now even more explicit.

Specifically, it highlights how personal contract customers can have a vehicle repaired at their own expense before collection.

Electronic versions of the car guide will be updated throughout 2015.

The Fair Wear and Tear guides relating to trucks will undergo a review in 2016, while the equivalent revisions to the van guide will begin towards the end of 2017.u To order copies of the Fair Wear and Tear guides, please contact Member Services Executive Rob Burford: Contact Rob Burford 01494 545702 Rob@bvrla.co.uk

Revised: Fair Wear and Tear Guide for car drivers

May/June 2015 | BVRLA News

More training for members Training &

accreditation

The BVRLA is widening the range of training, accreditation and professional development services available to members.

IMI Accreditation Assessments on demand, at your choice of location

Underlining its commitment to driving up the already-high standards of professionalism in the industry, the association has appointed Gursh Gill as its Learning and Development Professional.

Gill will help the BVRLA implement an ambitious training and development programme.

One of his first priorities is to assist leasing brokers in achieving, maintaining and demonstrating full compliance with Financial Conduct Authority rules.

New face: Gursh Gill joins the BVRLA’s Member Services team

Elsewhere there will be more opportunities for small- and medium-sized daily rental members.

experience in the rental industry, we’re confident that Gursh is ideally qualified to lead our initiatives. We want to increase the range of training, accreditation and professional development we offer as part of our wider commitment to maintain and improve standards within the industry.” u

Commenting on Gill’s appointment, BVRLA Head of Member Services Nora Leggett said: “With his extensive training and operational

Contact Gursh Gill 01494 545719 Gursh@bvrla.co.uk

Asset Finance Solutions Ltd Astute Motoring Ltd Crystal Lease Dennis Buyacar Ltd Fleet Sales Ltd

Rental

3F EV Ltd Drivenow UK Easydrive J4R JS Van Hire Ltd

Go Green Leasing Lync Ltd Magic Leasing Select Vehicle Ltf Sussex Vehicle Finance Ltd

Grant Thornton LLP

Hirus Vehicles Ltd OH Cars North East Truck & Van Ltd Penny Car Hire Ltd

These firms help rental and leasing companies unlock their potential for growth by providing meaningful, forwardthinking advice.

Fourways Vehicle Solutions

BVRLA Events BVRLA Regional Members Forum

Wolverhampton

25 June

Fleet Technology Congress 2015

Williams F1, Grove

1 July

Frilford Heath Golf Club

3 Sept

Glasgow

15 Sept

BVRLA Regional Members Forum

Are you a Business Development or Account Manager? Do you want to grow your business by improving sales performance? The BVRLA’s Fleet Consultant programme will give you confidence when speaking to customers, enabling your organisation to meet its objectives.

New associates

Rental Broker

Golf Day 2015

Fleet Consultant Programme 15 September & 10 November BVRLA, Amersham, Bucks.

Contact Gursh Gill 01494 545719 Gursh@bvrla.co.uk

New members Leasing Broker

This accreditation is governed by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

It is ideally suited to leasing and rental staff who have a responsibility for looking after vehicles, ensuring fleets are maintained in a legal and roadworthy condition and managing service and repair costs.

Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms.

Proactive teams, led by approachable partners in these firms use insights, experience and instinct to understand complex issues for businesses.

www.grant-thornton.co.uk

For enquiries about events, contact Felisha Weekes: Felisha@bvrla.co.uk Full details of all BVRLA events can be found on our website: www.bvrla.co.uk

BVRLA News | May/June 2015

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Prohire Mobile

mobilise your vehicle rental business ...

Prohire Mobile is a range of services designed for use on a tablet which integrate seamlessly with Prohire – the UK’s leading vehicle rental management software.

Streamline workflows and enforce your process Improve vehicle inspector accuracy Record and upload photographs of damage to Prohire Reduce customer disputes by capturing hirer signatures Decrease vehicle refurbishment costs by timely re-charging customers for damage Detect lost/damaged vehicle equipment between hires

Vehicle Inspections Delivery/Collections Valeting Many more!

Enhance the customer experience through a speedy turnaround Fully customisable to your existing processes

Contact us on 01795 434000 or visit prohire.co.uk