The independent fleet management provider announced two months ago that it was opening the new fleet operations in Istanbul to service new and existing fleet customers as part of its continued expansion across mainland Europe and the Near East.

The Turkish operation, based at the local headquarters of its parent company, TÜV SÜD, has now gone live and the first major customer, global bio-pharmaceutical giant UCB, has been implemented with a national fleet of 79 Volkswagen branded cars.

Elvan Akalin, purchasing and fleet services manager at UCB Pharma AS, said the implementation in Turkey was important to ensure the management of all UCB fleets were in global alignment.

‘The main objective of this project is to align UCB fleet management to a global template in terms of strategies and approach through obtaining the same level of services in all European countries.

‘The implementation in Turkey was one of smoothest I have ever experienced, and the Fleet Logistics’ performance exceeded my expectations.

‘Although a new company in the region, it was obvious that they had analyzed both the market and the customer profile in Turkey. They also had a well-structured project plan with clear definitions of requirements and timelines. They were also very customer-focused and supportive before and after the go-live,’ she said.

Fleet Logistics CEO Rainer Laber added: ‘We are delighted that we have been able to implement UCB, our first customer in Turkey, so quickly, so smoothly and on time.

‘The opening of our first operation in Turkey, using the existing TÜV SÜD network and infrastructure, puts more pieces in the Fleet Logistics’ jigsaw of mainland Europe and the Near East.

‘We do have other countries in mind for further expansion, and more details will be made available soon,’ he said.

The new contract comes as Fleet Logistics goes live with a new “Mobility Control App” to provide fleet drivers with access to all their vehicle details, mileage data, support services and other key information.

It also provides a platform through which the driver can communicate with Fleet Logistics, keep their mileage records up-to-date, access details about preferred suppliers and find answers to frequently asked questions at any time of the day or night.

Fleet Logistics is also introducing a number of new products and services, including a driver appointment and valet module, which is a one-stop solution for drivers to book any service appointment covering any aspect of their vehicle. Fleet Logistics organises the appointment and ensures that the vehicle is collected in the morning and re-delivered once the work is completed.

The other new product is an intermediate or end-of-contract car inspection, provided in conjunction with sister company D-Expert, part of TÜV SÜD Auto Service.

Through D-Expert, Fleet Logistics will carry out intermediate car checks – when cars are re-allocated from one driver to another, for example – or at the end of the contract, to ensure that the vehicle returns in a suitable condition to the leasing company, thus avoiding any costly end-of-contract charges.