Having been a corporate fleet manager in a previous life, CBVC sales executive Andrew Baker ensures that his fleet customers benefit from the levels of service, advice and help that he would have wanted and expected from suppliers when he was running a corporate fleet.
Andrew was in charge of two corporate fleets for a total of four years before joining CBVC 11 years ago, and so has seen fleet life from both sides of the fence. As such, he feels he is in a great place to be able give fleet clients the best possible advice and guidance.
Responsible for looking after 20 fleet clients, with varying fleet sizes from 7-8 vehicles up to over 470 units – CBVC’s largest fleet customer to date – Andrew spends 85% of his time working with corporate customers to help save them money, ensuring they are employing best practice and offering advice on the latest legislation and other structural changes within the fleet market.
Of these, he believes the introduction of the new World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) has possibly had the most profound effect.
“We have seen some major changes in recent months, not least the introduction of the new WLTP-based emissions testing regime. This has had a major impact on the fleet market and has led to a lot of indecision.
“We are still waiting for the outcome of the Government’s review into the impact of WLTP on drivers’ Benefit-in-Kind tax rates and this has left many people in a quandary as to what to do next,” he said.
“People are uncertain whether to choose between diesel or petrol, or whether to opt for hybrids or electric vehicles, and there is a lot of uncertainty and indecision in the market.
“For fleets that want to be as green and cost effective as possible, our advice remains that diesel is still the best option for high mileage drivers from both a company and an employee perspective.
“We’ve looked long and hard at the numbers, at the front end price differential between diesel and petrol and the running costs, for example, and our advice is that between 16,000 and 20,000 miles, diesel still offers the best practical outcome for both employer and employee.
“The optimum mileage for companies seems to be around the 18,000 mile per annum mark in terms of cost efficiency, and for drivers around 16-17,000 miles. So we still advocate diesel for those long distance work fleets as the best option for now.
“For shorter distances, we suggest that fleets look at petrol or at hybrids, depending on their job need, location and the number of miles being driven,” he said.
However, Andrew said, a Government decision last year, which at the time caused widespread astonishment, has caused the market for plug-in hybrids to come to a standstill.
“The Government withdrew the Plug-in Car grant for hybrids last October and since then the market has completely stalled. This made no sense at the time and still doesn’t. Plug-in hybrids are around £4,500-£5,000 more expensive than petrol-engined equivalents and £2,500 more expensive than similar diesels.
“Without the funding support, they look too expensive from a company perspective, although the lower CO2 emissions mean they can still be a good bet for drivers from a BIK point-of-view, although there still needs to be a lot more work done on charging infrastructure if range anxiety is going to be removed,” he said.
In terms of job satisfaction, what Andrew likes most about his current role is the opportunity to use his fleet ability and experience to help and advise corporate customers – to try and make a real difference in the way their fleets are run.
“I want to help my clients run their fleets more effectively and save money. So I talk regularly with fleet decision-makers, discussing ideas on best practice.
“For example, with one client which had a number of full time employees and a number of short term contracts, I was able to demonstrate that the best option was to reduce the number of vehicles on long leases and replace them with flexi-rent contracts of 3-4 months at a time. By taking my advice, they were able to save around £120,000 over a four year period.”
When not working with larger corporate clients, the remainder of Andrew’s job role centres around sole traders, small companies and referrals from dealers – offering advice on vehicle choice and the best options available.
“What I like most is being able to make a difference and receiving thanks from fleet customers for the help and advice I’ve been able to provide,” he says.
When not working, Andrew likes to relax with his latest ‘toy’ – an Audi TT Mark 1, a classic two seater convertible.
“I’m a member of a local classic car club and, at this time of the year, there are shows and outside events virtually every weekend which always keep me busy,” he adds.
