FleetLocum is expanding from Europe into the UK to provide organisations with access to temporary or interim fleet management services.

Tony Donnelly, chief executive, Goodwood Corporate Mobility

The company has been in operation for more than five years and delivered its services through a partner based in Belgium, but Tony Donnelly, chief executive of parent firm Goodwood Corporate Mobility, is looking to also establish FleetLocum in its own right in the UK in response to growing demand for such services.

He explained: “Many UK organisations are struggling to implement vehicle policy and procedure changes because they do not have the required in-house professional fleet management expertise.”

This lack of dedicated fleet management expertise in many companies comes at a time of an “unprecedented” level of change in the industry that’s seeing organisations hit by issues ranging from the switch to WLTP and the forthcoming tax changes, the continuing fallout from the 2017 implementation of the Optional Remuneration Arrangements, the introduction of clean air zones and Government work to drive take-up of ULEVs under the Road to Zero Strategy and 2017 air quality plan.

Donnelly continued: “Many organisations have decided that fleet is a non-core activity, but those same companies and public and voluntary sector employers would, I believe, find it difficult to function efficiently without an effective, well-managed company car and van operation. Furthermore, they lack the in-house knowledge and experience to focus on strategy and cost management around issues such as fleet funding, vehicle choice lists, operating policies and corporate risk in a changing world.”

The FleetLocum service can help businesses deal with such changes while delivering financial savings and legislative compliance. The service can provide organisations with an experienced fleet manager on a temporary, interim or permanent basis and can also provide for maternity/paternity or long-term illness. Charges vary and can be based on a day rate, per vehicle managed or an individual fee per project.

The business is also seeking to recruit fleet experts to meet anticipated demand.

Donnelly concluded: “FleetLocum is totally independent of all external automotive, travel, banking/finance and insurance influences and can justifiably provide businesses with a transparent, unbiased and structured management strategy.”