FSG ‘league table’ highlights crash cost savings

Businesses that have introduced both risk management and accident management services from Fleet Support Group are reporting significant financial savings.

A ‘league table’ of FSG customers highlights, in many cases, how introducing the company’s RiskMaster programme has resulted in a huge reduction in the number of crashes involving fleet vehicles.

In addition, where a company’s vehicles have still been involved in crashes, the cost of the insurance claim has, in most cases, significantly reduced.

For example, one company whose vehicles were involved in 66 crashes in 2007/8 with an average claim cost of £466 saw the respective figures drop to 43 and £385 in 2008/9 (see chart below).

Meanwhile, another fleet has seen crash numbers reduce from 161 in 2007/8 to 118 in 2008/9 and a third fleet has recorded a 25% drop in claim numbers from 432 to 313 over the two-year period.

Elsewhere, even where there have been a small number of claims, subsequent cost savings have been substantial - an average claim of £283.55 reduced over 12 months to an average claim of £204.18.

FSG Chairman Geoffrey Bray said: “Cost management should be the number one priority for all companies. With fleet operations typically the second largest corporate cost after staff, putting in place measures to reduce transport costs is essential.

“Crash costs not only have one of the most significant impacts on fleet budgets, but they also result in massive business disruption.

“However, some companies not only fail to implement both risk management and accident management processes, but even if they do, some companies fail to use the data that is available to manage costs down.

“Yet, as FSG can prove, an all-embracing focus on crash management - both preventing incidents from occurring by training and monitoring drivers and, when they do, by effectively managing the vehicle back on to the road, businesses can save money.”

Warburtons’ bakery deliveries kept on the road thanks to FSG

Bakery company Warburtons has seen business efficiency improve after introducing FSG’s all-embracing accident management service, CrashMaster.

The Bolton-based company is the largest family-owned bakery in the UK and supplies major supermarkets and smaller local shops nationwide.

The company’s aim is to become ‘Britain’s favourite baker’ - a vision that is underpinned by the company’s dedication to quality and continued improvement across all areas of the business, not least in distribution.

With 14 bakeries and 15 depots, Warburtons is a nationwide supplier of bread and bakery products to 16,700 stores and shops daily.

Company Secretary John Healey said: “Any disruption in transport operations will impact on the stores and the ability of consumers to buy bread and other bakery goods.

“Warburtons needs to ensure that it can supply great tasting fresh bread daily. Warburtons’ customers have come to rely on this service, which means having its fleet of 1,000 vehicles available for deliveries at all times is of critical importance.

“The transport team appointed vehicle recovery specialists FSG to provide a co-ordinated full service approach to accident management.”

As a result, Warburtons says it has seen significant benefits to its business including:

• Reduced downtime of distribution vehicles

• Improved cost control of third party claims

• Accident claims being processed more quickly

• Administration efficiencies

• Professional management of any third party involvement

Mark Sutcliffe, Warburtons’ Group Transport Manager, said: “Working with FSG allows the business to more efficiently manage the return to service following a vehicle accident. FSG provides one contact point ensuring claims are processed quickly.”

Law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer Solicitors provides legal support as part of FSG’s accident management service. While FSG focuses on vehicles and ensuring they are repaired and back on the road as quickly as possible, Berryman provides a claims handling service.

FSG also provides a non-fault third party claims capture service that will result in vehicles being repaired through the FSG network.

Masterview gives FSG access to a vehicle ‘chamber of horrors’

Thousands of company car and van drivers are abusing their vehicles, putting their employers in breach of health and safety legislation and inflating fleet operating costs, according to photographic evidence recorded by Fleet Support Group.

The vehicle ‘chamber of horrors’ is being catalogued by FSG as its maintenance experts view live pictures beamed into the company via a video link direct from the garage where service, maintenance and repairs are being carried out.

Around 125 of FSG’s network of independent dealers are equipped with Masterview - a unique remote video inspection system that enables FSG to view the condition of vehicles and components anywhere around the country via a broadband link.

When vehicle abuse is detected, fleet managers in charge of the damaged vehicles are informed and shown the evidence. Masterview is primarily aimed at spotting ‘SAD’ images - safety, abuse and damage.

Among the latest photographic evidence viewed are:

• A car’s tyre so low on tread that its metal cords are clearly visible

• Upholstery, cup holders and the driver’s footwell carpet all severely damaged

• A snapped road spring, possibly caused by a car being overweight and subsequently incurring tyre damage

• The rear axle of a car overloaded with more than 20 patio slabs

FSG Chairman Geoffrey Bray said: “When we show fleet managers the photographic evidence they are invariably shocked that their company vehicles have been allowed to get into such a state by drivers.

“Remedial action is then usually very swift. However, the damage is done and repair bills incurred.

“In many cases vehicle abuse has occurred over a period of time and thus impacts on safety, a company’s image and residual values as well as costing money to repair.

“Masterview enables fleet managers to keep an eye on their vehicles to make sure they are roadworthy, are being driven well and are properly cared for and thereby conforming with duty of care regulations. By actively encouraging drivers to care for their vehicles, fleet operating costs are reduced and vehicle values maintained.”

Network Rail has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to vehicle maintenance with fleet chief Chuck Ives saying: “Cars and vans can be expensive killing machines if not serviced and kept in the best condition.”

The company’s proactive approach has resulted in huge savings in fleet costs with vehicle reliability now at an all-time high.

He added: “Driver culture has changed. They know their vehicles are being monitored and acknowledge the need for regular maintenance. All vehicle fleets should adopt this common sense approach to vehicle maintenance.”

FSG celebrates double safety awards triumph

Fleet Support Group "works tirelessly towards a crystal clear vision of improved fleet safety".

That’s the view of the judges of the annual Fleet Safety Forum Awards organised by road safety charity Brake, where FSG was celebrating twice.

FSG was named Fleet Safety Provider of the Year for its all-embracing vehicle, driver and journey online RiskMaster technology and company founder and Chairman Geoffrey Bray won the Kevin Storey Award for Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety.

The awards recognise excellence in road risk management in helping to reduce the number of at-work drivers involved in crashes on Britain’s roads.

The Government estimates that up to 200 road deaths and serious injuries a week result from crashes involving at-work drivers. More employees are killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other work-related activity

RiskMaster is in demand for an increasing number of fleets including Dun & Bradstreet, WHSmith, Balfour Beatty Utility Services, Unison and the Labour Party.

FSG has recently updated RiskMaster to include measurement of driver performance, and automated alerts to senior managers, to ensure that recommendations are being acted on.

Roz Cumming, Brake’s Fleet Safety Forum Manager, said FSG won the award not only for RiskMaster, but also for working in partnership with clients and for developing an approach to consultation for new product development.

She said: “They have pulled together an advisory panel of experts ranging from police to lawyers to risk management practitioners. This expert panel also ensures that the company’s products are continually improved to best practice standards.”

The development of RiskMaster is based on what the Fleet Safety Forum judges called Mr Bray’s "fantastically clear vision for safety".

With a passionate belief that a corporate focus on reducing road crashes will deliver financial savings for fleets, Ms Cummings said: “He encourages companies to care about, and to make a real difference to the safety of their own drivers and other road users. He is a true advocate for road safety.”

Mr Bray said: “Implementing a robust at-work driving safety strategy should be a priority for all businesses. Public and private sector fleets have a legal duty to safeguard the welfare of staff, but they also have a legal duty to comply with a raft of legislation which can only be achieved by having in place such a policy.

“Not only that, but evidence from our RiskMaster clients shows that managing occupational road risk effectively cuts road crashes. As a result, significant financial savings accrue as well as improved business productivity as vehicle downtime is slashed.”

The two awards continue FSG’s run of industry recognition for its proactive stance on managing occupational road risk. To find out how RiskMaster can help your business, contact FSG at enquiries@fsguk.com

FSG employees win praise for ‘going the extra mile’

Fleet Support Group chief Geoffrey Bray believes that all customers deserve "good old fashioned first class service".

As a result, the company’s own service, maintenance and repair department is staffed 24/7, 365 days a year and all telephone calls are answered in person.

It is also the concept behind FSG’s ‘Going the Extra Mile’, which is designed to ensure that all staff deliver service standards that are unmatched by their rivals.

It is such courtesy and assistance to fleet decision-makers and business drivers that has seen FSG grow from a start-up company almost 22 years ago to being Britain’s largest privately-owned fleet management business with a fleet of 55,000 vehicles on its books - 27,000 company cars, 20,000 light commercial vehicles and 8,000 trucks.

Below, Flagship publishes a handful of the comments received from satisfied fleet managers and drivers since the ‘Going the Extra Mile’ initiative was launched.

From Tony Kilran, Network Rail to Paul Bayly, Operations Department: “Once again I would like to thank you for the prompt and efficient way in which you dealt with my headlight problem. Your courtesy and professionalism ensured that I hardly noticed the inconvenience on what was a busy day.”

From Bill Henry, NATS to Alex Whitehall, FleetMaster Division: “Can I thank you and your company for the terrific service I have received over many years. It is rare these days to deal with such helpful and professional staff.”

From Daniel Payne, Fleet Operations, Somerfield, to Darren Roberts, Authorisations Department: “I have spoken to the driver of the above vehicle this morning and just wanted to once again thank you for the extra efforts that you personally continue to give. I appreciate that the out of hours issues are often an even bigger test, but you kept me informed appropriately and worked to resolve the issues with minimum inconvenience to the driver. He really was impressed. Thanks again for your excellent customer service and efforts.”

From Paul Johnson, SIG Trading, on Darren Roberts, Authorisations Department: “I just wanted to drop you a note to say how impressed I was with the service I received. Having resolved the problem with my car, Darren then managed to track down probably the only available hire car in south-east England and arranged for someone to be there for me to collect it at 10pm that evening. Would you please pass on my very sincere thanks for his help and patience in overcoming what appeared intractable problems.”

From Glynis Deedes, IKO on Daryl Cottle, RiskMaster Division: “I have looked after our small fleet since July 2008 and knew nothing at all about fleet management.  Daryl visited our offices to help identify what remedial work our RiskMaster programme needed and offered his assistance whenever I needed it. Well he has been an absolute star, and has been as good as his word. I know that if I have any query Daryl will respond quickly with either an answer or a promise to look into it and get back to me. He always does get back to me. He is great ambassador for your company, who not only goes that extra mile but he does so with a smile and great professionalism and good will.”

From Pete Shore, Network Rail on Gail Hilliard, Jo-Anne Hewson and Laura Hemmings, CrashMaster Division: “I have recently been in contact with FSG on two occasions, and I would like to thank the ladies for their excellent support. I have nothing but praise for the way in which my accidents were dealt with, ie, quickly, efficiently and most important of all, happily. Thank-you FSG. Keep up the excellent work.”