Vehicle rental offers a pay as you go solution that delivers a wealth of fleet benefits, from reduced transport costs to the ultimate in fleet flexibility.
Is your fleet in the best shape for the year ahead, or could your business transport benefit from shedding a few pounds?
The costly truth is that many fleets are out of shape as cars and vans may languish unused for much of the working week, including pool vehicles, which can weigh heavily on fleet budgets.
The solution – short-term vehicle hire – may not be a big stretch, and it could make your fleet more flexible and cost-effective.
Car and van rental has the potential to make fleet operations leaner by removing underutilised vehicles and ensuring the best vehicle is always sourced for each project at the right time.
We look at five of the key benefits of vehicle hire and how they could help your business.
Pay as you grow flexibility
Every business wants to grow, but it can be an expensive exercise when it comes to vehicles. Cars and vans are acquired in anticipation of growth, but that may take longer than expected. Once these projects end, extra vehicles can often remain on the fleet.
Daily rental vehicles are also a good solution for employees during their probationary period: rather than commit to a long-term car lease immediately, short-term rental allows you flexibility should the employee not be satisfactory in any way.
Vehicle hire provides pay as you grow flexibility to businesses, allowing them to source more vehicles when they are needed, then return them if they aren’t required, with delivery or collection often arranged within hours of the call being made.
With the right rental partner, fleets can transform how they operate by embedding flexible hire as a core transport alternative to a funded fleet.
The same is true for pool car fleets, which can be switched to a rental model to free up cash that would otherwise be tied up in vehicles. It also maximises efficiency, as analysts estimate that a typical pool car must be utilised 70% of the time to justify its cost compared to rental.
Vehicle hire ensures cars and vans on the fleet are always up to date, giving drivers access to the latest equipment and technology to reduce running costs and improve safety. Furthermore, maintenance costs are normally covered by the rental company, which means that vehicles are always in good condition, with breakdown cover typically built in.
Switch on EV solutions in an instant
Vehicle rental is the fastest way for companies to introduce electric vehicles. This can be useful for businesses that are just starting their electric vehicle (EV) journey, so they can quickly and cost effectively get to grips with the new world of zero tailpipe emission transport.
Rental hire companies have access to the latest range of electric cars and vans from a growing number of providers, allowing fleets and drivers to easily assess a range of models, without committing to long-term contracts.
For companies that already have an EV fleet, rental is a useful alternative should a fossil fuel vehicle be needed for any reason, such as long-distance towing.
Rental companies can easily switch a driver into the most suitable model, then return them to zero-emission motoring when needed.
Avoid grey hairs from your grey fleet
Grey fleet is a constant challenge for most fleet managers, as they juggle checks on an ever-changing array of vehicles, licences and drivers.
Companies need to ensure drivers understand detailed policies about the use of grey fleet vehicles on business, while trusting driver assurances that vehicles are properly serviced and insured, unless employers carry out further expensive checks.
As a result, the use of private vehicles on business carries significant risks, particularly for small businesses.
Vehicle rental ensures that drivers are always in a suitable car that is fit for purpose, backed by a detailed audit trail in case of any issues, which provides additional reassurance to employers.
Data delivers extra benefits to rental customers
The latest technology is an added bonus available to companies when they opt for vehicle hire.
Online reporting provides at-a-glance, granular insight into every aspect of vehicle costs with up-to-the-minute updates on elements including vehicles on hire and added charges.
A growing number of rental companies are enhancing their technology suite to deliver on-the-road insights through telematics and other equipment, such as dashcams.
Systems can provide managers with live updates on vehicles including alerts on risk management concerns, such as harsh braking or speeding, while dashcams can automatically record incidents and send footage for review. This can support training and protect drivers from fake charges from other road users; avoiding a single fraudulent claim could offset months’ worth of hire costs.
Service levels that deliver real value for money
To find the best vehicle rental suppliers, it is important to look beyond price lists. In a competitive market, there are many business benefits to look out for, such as out of hours service, delivery and collection for home or work, consolidated billing, dedicated customer service teams, and vehicle choices that match a company’s fleet policy, either by brand or type of car and van.
There are also longer-term benefits to consider too, such as provision of remote servicing where needed, which can be a significant benefit to commercial vehicle operators that want to minimise downtime.
Fleets can also secure service level guarantees to ensure that their choice of vehicle is not suddenly limited because a rental provider is diverting stock to meet surges in leisure demand during peak periods, especially during annual holidays.
Service levels are guaranteed at CBVC Vehicle Management: the business was recently awarded Feefo Gold standard for its customer service.
Would your fleet benefit from our vehicle rental service?
CBVC Vehicle Management has been expertly managing fleets for more than 20 years, including delivering vehicle rental solutions to small and large businesses throughout the UK.
Nick Alexander, Sales Director of CBVC Vehicle Management (pictured), said:
“By working with the right partner, fleets can secure a rental solution that maximises flexibility, minimises fleet costs and delivers valuable additional benefits to the business. The first step is working with experts in the industry that can secure the best solutions and services that most closely match the needs of your business.”
Call us on 01283 351200 and talk to one of our fleet experts about our short-term vehicle rental service.
