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Thank You To Cheshire Fleet Solutions

Thank You To Cheshire Fleet Solutions

by | Feb 26, 2019 | Case Studies, General, Vans

Research Shows Impact Of Carrying a Load on Van Braking Distances

One of the reasons why we started Cheshire Fleet Solutions was that we felt that many other places were losing sight of offering quality customer service, and just focussing on numbers.

That is why when we receive positive feedback from our clients, we know that this means we are getting it right. 

Here is some feedback from a recent client – Dave Green at Bird and Pest Solutions LTD.

“Bird and Pest Solutions Ltd have just taken delivery of their brand new Citroen Berlingo Enterprise from Cheshire Fleet Solutions. The Van was delivered bang on time as promised and my old van taken away. Great service and great Van would recommend Matt at Cheshire Fleet Solutions to anyone looking for a reliable hassle free service.”

delivery of new van to Bird Pest Solutions
Delivery of new van to client

If you would like to find out more about our vehicle delivery or fleet management services, why not drop us a line on 07971 865102

Great Deals on Contract Hire Vans

Great Deals on Contract Hire Vans

by | Feb 23, 2019 | General, Vans, Vans Available

Great Value Deals on Business Contract Hire Vans

We are seeing a splurge of some fantastic deals on contract hire vans at the moment. Here are just some of the ones I have found this week.

Vehicle  Annual Mileage Term Monthly Rental
MITSUBISHI L200 DIESEL Double Cab DI-D 178 Barbarian 4WD 10k 6+35 £249.99+VAT
Renault Traifc Lwb Business+ LL29 120ps 10k 6+35 £259.84+VAT
Peugeot Expert Std 1400Kg  2.0 Blue Hdi 120 Professionnal  Van 10k 6+35 £207.64+VAT
Peugeot Partner STd 1000Kg 1.6 Blue Hdi  100 Professional Van ( new Shape ) 10k 6+35 £189.99+VAT
FIAT FULLBACK DIESEL SPECIAL EDITION 2.4 180ps Cross Double Cab 10k 6+35 £250.70+VAT

Enquire About Our Vans

4 + 12 =

CALL 07971 865102

What Our Clients Say

“We have been using Matt for 18 years and he is our go-to person with all our fleet requirements. Very approachable and professional whilst giving best advice and very competitive prices. He has saved our company thousands of pounds and more time than I can care to imagine over the years. I would highly recommend his services.“

J Hopwood
Director, Bibliotheca Ltd

“When it comes to our fleet of Cars and Vans we like to be able to turn to someone we can trust. Matt has looked after our company fleet now for over 15 years.  He is easy to talk to and knowledgeable in all aspects of fleet management. Unlike others, he really listens and understands our needs.“

Karen McCarthy
Atherton and Partners Ltd

Why Choose Us?

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Understanding Your Needs

We pride ourselves on taking time to understand our client’s needs

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Personal Contact

Are available to speak to in person – without being on-hold to huge call centres.

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Wider Choice at Competitive Prices

We can spend more time sourcing what you need for the best prices – with the use of our several major funders and competitive terms..

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Experience & Knowledge

With over 25 years’ experience in the Motor Industry, we can help you with a full range of services, in a friendly, knowledgeable manner.

The Go-To Company For All Your Fleet Vehicle Needs.

At Cheshire Fleet Solutions, we not only could save you money – but we can help you with lots of value-added services that can also save you money, and TIME! Here are some of the other services we can help you with.

Vehicle Funding

Knowing the best way to finance your vehicles can be confusing. We have all the tools and knowledge to point you in the right direction including Contract Hire, Personal Contract Hire, Hire Purchase, Lease Purchase, Lease Hire.

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Vehicle Sourcing

Using our Trade Terms and contacts we can source Cars & Vans, New & Used at very competitive prices and have them delivered straight to your door.

Maintenance Packages

With just one easy to manage monthly payment, you can guarantee quality workmanship, manufacturer approved parts and prices that are fixed for up to 5 years.

Fleet Management

This includes an initial FREE Fleet analysis to see where we can save you both time and money.

 

Accident Management

Let us deal with the hassle when one of your vehicles are involved in an accident.

Fleet Insurance

This is such an important part of running a fleet and unfortunately very time consuming.
We have the answer.

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Flexi Leasing

Short term leasing at affordable costs. This is great for new start employees or as a gap filler whilst your vehicle is on order.

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Legislation

The world of business is changing rapidly, this means we must all evolve. We like to keep our clients up to speed with relevant facts i.e. new tax laws or emissions law or other useful ideas.

Customer-focused, Personalised Service

As you can see we have everything you need, along with a great personal professional service to ensure you have everything in place.

What Does Carrying a Load Mean For Braking Distances?

What Does Carrying a Load Mean For Braking Distances?

by | Feb 14, 2019 | General, Vans

Research Shows Impact Of Carrying a Load on Van Braking Distances

According to recent tests by New tests by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, van braking distances can increase by up to 36% at 30mph when the vehicle has a 500Kg payload.

Coming on the back of a recent survey by VW that revealed almost half of van drivers are unaware that heavy loads impact braking distances, there is clearly a need for greater awareness.

Carl zu Dohna, director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said:

“Braking distances in the Highway Code are based on an advised standard and don’t take into account the loads that many van drivers carry. Our research highlights an important safety message that van drivers could really benefit from.

“Whether they’re plumbers, landscape gardeners or construction workers, our customers regularly carry half a tonne of equipment and need to be aware they need to adjust their driving style to avoid having a costly, and potentially serious, accident.”

So What Does This Mean In Real Terms?

VW’s survey revealed that on average, most vans carried upto half a tonne of equipment, which can increase braking distances by up to 36%. This is equal to an extra five metres to stop at 60mph.

Using the MIRA Proving Grounds in Nuneaton, VW conducted a series of brake tests the on its own range of vans, with the Caddy, Transporter and Crafter carrying varying weights from empty to 500kg at both 30mph and 60mph.

The results revealed that 30mph braking distances increased by an average of 33% when vans had half a tonne of ballast on board – equal to an extra two metres travelled.

At 60mph, the distance travelled is inevitably more dangerous, as braking distances increased by an average of 19%, or five metres.

Reducing the Risks For Your Drivers

Supporting the research, Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham Research, said:

“We would also encourage van drivers to ensure that loads are well-secured, as movement of heavy items in the rear can also affect stability and stopping distance.”

As the only manufacturer to offer Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) across its range as standard, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have a commercial interest in the research of course. Studies suggest that if the technology was fitted to all commercial vehicles in the UK, it has the potential to stop almost 2,500 crashes per year.

If you run a fleet of vans though, it is certainly worth reiterating this message to your drivers and helping to make journeys safer for your drivers and other road-users. For more information about the AEB vans from VW or any of our available vans, then please feel free to call us on 07971 20865102.

Sale of Alternative Fuel Vehicles Would Be Boosted By EFG’s Survey Suggests

Sale of Alternative Fuel Vehicles Would Be Boosted By EFG’s Survey Suggests

by | Feb 7, 2019 | Alternative Fuel Vehicles, General, Legislation, Vehicle Finance

Government Loans Proposed To Speed Up Sales of Alternative Fuel Vehicles.

A loan guarantee scheme has been proposed to the UK Government to help boost the number of electric and hybrid vehicles sold.

The specialist lender Paragon’s The Motor Finance Team feels that an Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) could help the increase the sales of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) after its compiled research showing sales of AFV’s are being held up by a limited amount of finance options.

The latest findings from Paragon’s Headlight Survey for Autumn/Winter 2018-19 found that nearly three quarters of brokers expected an increase in both hybrid and electric car sales in the coming six month.

The report also highlighted that a quarter of brokers said they were having difficulty organising finance for electric cars.

What is the issue? And how would an EFG Help?

Electric cars constantly being updated due to the technology involved. This means there is a huge amount of risk in terms of valuation and complaints regarding the iniveitable new technology “teething” issues.

An Enterprise Finance Guarantee by the Government would mean that lenders could take a view on where residual value would be. The would mean the Government would stand the loss beyond that.

Julian Rance, director of motor finance at Paragon, said:

“AFVs are clearly growing in popularity as 72% of brokers said they dealt with electric cars on a quarterly or more frequent basis. This throws open the question on how much quicker electric car sales and development would grow if funders could get more comfortable with this type of vehicle at a time when manufacturers are still improving the technology and battery life.

“What we need is the Government to step up to the plate when it comes to electric cars and the pollution agenda.

“If it is serious about outlawing the sales of new cars or vans powered solely by a petrol or diesel engine from 2040 as part of its Road to Zero strategy, then the Government also needs to help fund AFV vehicles through a scheme like an Enterprise Finance Guarantee.

“Lenders need some form of financial guarantee for these cars and we are happy to take risks, but only to a certain point. This partial guarantee could make a real difference.”

Enterprise Finance Guarantee loans have been used in the past to help small businesses as part of a Government scheme in the UK. Could this be the answer here?

How We Can Help

If you are looking to switch to alternative fuel vehicles for your fleet then we want to hear from you. Feel free to drop us a line on;  07971 865102 , email us for more a callback, or leave your comments below.

Should A Tachograph Be Fitted In a 3.5t Van?

Should A Tachograph Be Fitted In a 3.5t Van?

by | Feb 6, 2019 | General, Legislation, Vans

Are You – Or Your 3.5t Van Drivers – Breaking The Law?

Next time you walk past a 3.5-tonne gvw van with a trailer, if you have a look inside and see if a tachograph is fitted. If there isn’t then the chances are the van you are looking at is more than likely breaking the law.

It is reckoned that of all the vans on UK roads with towbars fitted, astonishingly less than 1% have a tachograph and this is a potentially massive issue.

The rules regarding Tachograph’s are pretty straightforward.  However, many operators are not aware of – or wilfully ignoring – the law regarding tachographs – and in particular – who is allowed to drive vehicles with trailers.

This is a surprising fact bearing in mind the legal consequences in the event of a crash.

Exceptions to the rule

The law states that the weight of the trailer is  added to the gross vehicle weight of the van to determine the true weight.

So, put into context, if the van has a gvw of 3.5 tonnes and it’s towing a two-tonne trailer, the vehicle effectively weighs 5.5 tonnes and must have a tachograph. This also means that an O-licence is required to operate it too.

There are exceptions to this rule and the main two that may apply to Fleet Van readers are:

  • If the vehicle is not being used for hire and reward
  • If the vehicle doesn’t travel more than 50km (33 miles) from its base.

Responsibility of Van Fleet Operators

If Van Fleet Operators don’t adequately check drivers’ licences’ then they can be in trouble for this too.

As it stands, staff who passed their tests before January 1, 1997, will be allowed to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes gvw on their ordinary licences.  Anyone passing after that date are limited to 3.5 tonnes.

Therefore, if a 3.5-tonne van has a trailer fitted, anyone passing their test after January 1 1997 won’t be entitled to drive.

The regulations stipulating which drivers are qualified to tow trailers were amended in 1997 so that anyone who passed their driving test since requires a Category B or BE entitlement.

Further changes to the rules from January 13, 2013, restricted the weight that drivers qualified after 1997 can tow without a separate qualification.

How We Can Help

If you would like to clarify your circumstances or find out more about how this could affect your business, feel free to drop us a line on;  07971 865102 , email us for more a callback, or leave your comments below.

MP Jailed For Speeding is Warning To Fleet Drivers

MP Jailed For Speeding is Warning To Fleet Drivers

by | Feb 4, 2019 | General, Legislation

Warning for Car and Van Drivers After MP Jailed for Lying About Speeding Charge.

Company car and van drivers have been warned that telling a ‘white lie’ to avoid points on their licence is one of the “most serious offences”.
Despite the risks involved, a national law firm says that more people caught with motoring offences are choosing to ask a family member or friend to take the points on their behalf – particularly where it can have an impact on a job.

In a recent article in Fleet News, Paul Loughlin, a solicitor at Stephensons, said:

“Sadly, deliberate deception of speeding offences is becoming increasingly common. From my own experience, I often receive calls from drivers who initially suggest telling a ‘white lie’, where they can get their spouse or a family member to take the points in an effort to avoid accumulating more on their licence or receiving a driving ban.”

MP Jailed For Lying to Police

The warning comes after Peterborough MP, Fiona Onasanya, was jailed after she lied to police over a speeding ticket.

Onasanya who is also a solicitor, as well as an MP, denied being the driver of her Nissan Micra when it was clocked being driven at 41mph in a 30mph zone, in July 2017.

In addition to speeding, Onasanya was texting as well, the Old Bailey was told.

Irrespective of Onasanya’s position and status, the fact she was sentenced to three months last week following a re-trial shows that Judge’s are happy to throw the book at these offences, regardless of “status”. Onasanya stated that she intends to appeal against her conviction.

Her brother Festus was jailed for 10 months for his involvement, after pleading guilty to the same charge.

Not Worth The Risk

Loughlin said:

“In this case, had Miss Onasanya entered a guilty plea and took full responsibility for the driving offence, it’s likely the court would have imposed a more lenient penalty, with greater reference and consideration given to the impact a custodial sentence could have on the management of her multiple sclerosis.

 

“This sentence, like that of Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce in 2013, can be seen as a clear message to the public that obstructing public justice or perverting the course of justice, no matter what your standing in society, is always among the most serious of offences.”

The reality for car and van drivers is that whatever impact a motoring offence on your job, it is not worth the risk to you, or your family and friends in taking this kind of action.