Fleet Interview
them to the correct address if necessary to 10 metres. When we allocate a job to a driver all the details are sent to his mobile device and when the delivery is made, we can pass the signature on to the client within 10 seconds of delivery. We also have on-board cameras on most vehicles. The company recently had a re‑brand – what was the thinking behind this? As we have grown the multi-brand approach has become no longer appropriate for a company of our size. We consulted with a branding firm who came up with the brand Absolutely. The branding will help us in standing out from among our peers and will give us a much greater presence on the streets of London. We also wanted a brand which differentiated us apart from the others – it wasn’t a name which indicated ‘speed’ or ‘courier,’ but instead reflects the ethos of our business. The alternative branding with images of lobsters and crocodiles indicates that this one company will deliver Absolutely anything. As you can see there is a clear heritage to our company dating back to 1865 but our branding demonstrates our modern approach to the industry. Where do you stand on autonomous vehicles – is there a place for them for delivery firms? We will always keep up to speed with market technology developments, however, customer service excellence is at the crux of
our business and the interaction between the customers and drivers is something we truly value. It’s this interaction which gives us the reputation for providing an outstanding, high quality service. What advice would you give to other fleet managers about lowering fleet emissions and improving operations? My advice to other fleets is to be responsible as the decisions we make do have a genuine impact on emissions and the decisions of our clients, peers and customers. Possessing a fleet with responsible green credentials is, much like our technology offering, another way in which Absolutely is pleased to lead
our peers. Decisions such as this really add value in providing a unique customer service with every task no matter what the job is. L
Businesses under Absolutely are: A to Z Couriers, Ambassador, Bonds, BPH Services, City Bikes, Creative Cars & Couriers, Deliverence, Destinations Green, Falcon, Fleet Street Flyers, Goldstar International, Pink Express, Quickstar, Reuter Brooks, Spot the Courier, Streetwise, The Courier Group, The Warwick Group, West End Couriers, Wharf Logistics and Wizz. FURTHER INFORMATION www.askabsolutely.com
Fife Council – Introducing green hydrogen vehicles into the fleet along with green hydrogen refuelling stations Fife Council is Scotland’s third largest council. We employ approximately 17,000 employees who provide 900 different services to over 365,000 people. The services we provide range from education, social work, housing, and community services to transportation, looking after the environment and developing the economy. Fife continues to build on previous successes ensuring that Fife remains a top performing council in Scotland. A council priority is to introduce green hydrogen vehicles into the fleet along with green hydrogen refuelling stations. This innovative partnership project aims to demonstrate that green hydrogen can tackle two of Scotland’s biggest energy challenges – energy storage and low carbon transport. The project will also play a pivotal role in the regeneration of a former mining community, in an area of significant deprivation, and provide future educational and economic opportunities for young people and businesses to benefit from the growth of the renewable energy sector, allowing Levenmouth to achieve its ambition of becoming a leading centre for renewable energy. The project has three principle partners: Fife Council, Bright Green
Hydrogen and Toshiba and was one of six projects to be successfully awarded funding through the Scottish government’s Local Energy Challenge Fund from a total of 114 applications. Fleet operations have introduced dual‑fuelled diesel and green hydrogen vehicles. There will be five Ford Transits and two Mercedes Econic refuse collection vehicles. The RCV’s will probably be world firsts because of its motion and compaction engine mapping. Bankhead Central Glenrothes and the hydrogen centre in Methil will have green hydrogen refuelling stations commissioned by early next year. Project partner Bright Green Hydrogen,
based at The Hydrogen Office in Methil, was established to develop, demonstrate, research and educate in connection with renewable energy and energy storage. The new hydrogen production and refuelling facilities located at The Hydrogen Office allow for hydrogen production, storage and dispensing. This site is then able to support the refuelling facilities at Fife’s Bankhead Central depot in Glenrothes. Dispensing will be for 350bar vehicles and production capacity is likely to be 100‑120kW. Bright Green Hydrogen are also leasing out a fleet of 10 Renault Kangoo vans that have been converted to run on hydrogen fuel cell technology, by Symbio Fuel Cell. These vans are available on lease to local businesses in the area. The production of a dual-fuel refuse collection vehicle is particularly exciting and replicable, when you consider the number of such vehicles in the country. The council currently has 1496 vehicles in its fleet, including 185 HGVs and the annual fuel bill is £4.8 million. FURTHER INFORMATION www.fife.gov.uk
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