Here at Wessex Fleet, we’ve been providing fleet management services for corporate clients for over 15 years which has allowed us to build up a number of services that we provide for them and their drivers. All this experience means that we are able to offer personalised fleet management for each of our clients so they get the best service possible.
In this guide, we’ll look at the services we provide and what you need to know about them as a driver.
Here at Wessex Fleet, we offer our corporate customers and their drivers a number of different services and tailor the combination of them to the individual business’ needs. These include:
And much more!
What our tailor-made fleet management approach means for you as a driver is that we might not be your point of contact for all of the above, you might also have an internal fleet manager managing some of these services or they may not be ones your business offers. We work with all our clients to ensure that it is clear for drivers who they need to contact for any of these services or questions that they have on them.
If you’re ever unsure whether we manage a particular aspect of your company vehicle then just get in touch and we can point you in the right direction if it is not us.
In each of the below sections we’ll give a brief explanation of the service, as well as where you can find a more detailed guide on them, before explaining how this relates to you as a driver and what you should expect from Wessex Fleet.
We’ve also got a section a little further down on what will be expected from you as a Wessex Fleet managed driver.
We provide general administration support as part of all our fleet management programmes which can take many forms depending on the business’ needs.
Generally, it can involve monitoring:
And taking appropriate action to ensure the necessary work is completed to ensure the vehicles are safe and legally compliant. If Wessex Fleet do not provide maintenance services as part of your company’s fleet management, then this could be notifying your internal fleet management or maintenance contact.
Additional administration work can include:
Another service that we can provide is vehicle telematics, which is the use of devices in order to monitor the vehicle.
They can include GPS so that the vehicle is trackable in the event it is lost or stolen, as well as monitoring speed, harsh acceleration and braking and other driver habits that might benefit from additional training.
Telematics devices can also be used to track fuel consumption and other indicators on the vehicle that any sudden changes in might highlight a fault with the vehicle.
Drivers might be asked about any areas of concern that are highlighted as part of the telematics concerns, but they will not usually be affected day to day by the telematics device.
The other time that you might be affected by telematics devices is when they need to be installed / removed when receiving or returning a vehicle. We will arrange for this to be done as soon after delivery or prior to collection as we can for you, and at a convenient time and location to minimise any inconvenience for you.
Grey Fleet is a term used to describe the vehicles that are personally owned or financed by individual drivers but used for business purposes. Although the company is not responsible for sourcing or maintaining these vehicles they do have a level of responsibility for those driven on work journeys.
Grey fleet management involves ensuring that the vehicles are legally roadworthy and safe to drive, that they have any MOTs and services completed when due, they are taxed and insured and the driver is legally able to and competent to drive the vehicle.
The responsibilities may sound similar to regular fleet management but they often require a different approach and can cost the business time and money if not managed correctly.
If you drive your own vehicle for business journeys and Wessex Fleet provide grey fleet management to your employer you will likely be contacted to ensure that the servicing and MOT is completed, the vehicle is insured and taxed and any repair work completed. You can also contact us if you have any questions about this
An essential part of managing a business’ fleet is risk management which involves ensuring that the vehicles their employees use are safe and legally roadworthy and that their drivers are qualified and competent at operating them.
Risk management is involved in most aspects of the fleet including driver training, checking licences, vehicle maintenance and administration. For drivers, this means that you’re unlikely to be contacted explicitly for something that is solely part of the risk management strategy. For example, if there is a concern about driving habits breaking protocols set by the risk management strategy then it will likely be combined with driver support or training.
We work closely with our businesses to ensure that the method, or methods, they use to provide their employees with vehicle related benefits is the best option for their company and their drivers.
This is largely organised with your company’s internal fleet procurement and management contact but where there are multiple options available for you Wessex Fleet are here to help explain the pros, cons and considerations for each so that you can make an informed decision on the right choice for you.
Even if there is only one form of company vehicle benefit, for example a cash allowance, we are here to answer any questions you have on the benefit, tax implications, responsibilities and anything else that might come up.
We work with a large network of dealers around the UK so that we are able to source the vehicles our clients need.
This large network of dealers means we can get great deals on the cost of vehicles as well as find vehicles that are on the ground, or due to arrive shortly. The motor industry is currently experiencing unprecedented and unpredictable challenges caused by the pandemic and the global microchip shortage which means that we cannot get vehicles as quickly as we would like but our relationships with dealers across the UK means that we are still able to source vehicles though the wait time is longer than pre-pandemic.
If your company car or company van is sourced via Wessex Fleet then our dedicated Customer Services team will regularly request updates from the dealer for your vehicle and then let you know if there is any movement to the expected lead time of the vehicle.
We have several clients who work in the catering industry and so we also have contacts with a fridge conversion company which allows us to be able to supply converted fridge vans and food vans. For drivers this doesn’t have a very big impact on the process for you, it will just extend the time between the vehicle arriving at the dealership and with you.
Wesex Fleet Rentals
As well as supplying more permanent vehicle solutions we can also provide short and long term rental vehicles.
For any driver who receives a rental vehicle while waiting for their more permanent company car, whilst theirs is unusable or for a particular trip then we will arrange collection and return of the vehicle to a convenient rental location.
We will also be here if you need any support or have questions on the rental vehicle.
Here at Wessex Fleet, we have a dedicated Maintenance Team who work to ensure all our corporate drivers have operational vehicle, any repair work is completed as quickly as possible to reduce the time spent off the road and any driver concerns are addressed.
If you have a company car with maintenance then this will probably be the team that you have the most contact with. You can find out more about them here.
Sharon, Emily, Simon and Keiran will be your point of contact if you get a punctured tyre, when a light comes up on the dash, for servicing and any repair work and arranging your MOT if your car is over three years old. They are also here to help if you have any questions about the condition of your car. You can reach the team on 01722 322 888 and option 1 or via email on maintenance@wessexfleet.co.uk .
Some vehicles will be leased or rental ones which means that they will need to be returned at the end of their required period.
At Wessex we will liaise with you, the driver, to arrange collection of the vehicle at a convenient time and location. If there is a replacement vehicle coming then we will endeavour to do these on the same date for minimum disruption to you.
We will also help manage the admin side, for example if a lease is being returned before the end of the contract it will require an early termination which will need to be completed by an authorised person at your company.
Another service that we can provide businesses with is fuel card management.
Fuel cards can be provided by your employer as an additional benefit or for a smoother process in providing fuel for business travel.
There are tax implications for taking a fuel card, especially if you use it for non-company related travel which are important to consider when deciding if accepting a fuel card is the right option for you. You can find out more about company fuel tax and fuel cards in these dedicated guides.
As part of the company's duty of care and their fulfilment of this they may require their drivers to complete some type of driving assessment or training. This may be a one off session or a continued development plan.
Wessex provide a variety of driver training methods that include online, classroom, and on the road training. Whichever method you are provided with we will fully explain the process and provide you with all the necessary resources you need to make the most of the experience.
Another part of the business’ duty of care responsibilities is to ensure you are qualified to drive the vehicle you are being assigned which is why companies will conduct driving licence checks.
At Wessex Fleet, we use a secure and GDPR compliant system in order to check drivers’ licence details for their employer, once the driver has confirmed they consent to the check. We will contact you to obtain consent and then run a check on your licence and then provide the results to your employer.
Please note once consent is provided it will last for three years, if you remain at your employer for longer than this
The check will confirm the type of licence you hold and any penalty points that it holds.
No matter what level of fleet management we provide for your employers we are here to help you with any questions or queries you have.
These can be as small and as simple as will my new company car be supplied with car mats through to more complex queries like what are the benefits or a car allowance vs a company car?
Our Corporate, Maintenance, and Customer Services Teams are here to help you every step of the way and you can reach them on 01722 322 888 and then selecting the appropriate option.
As a company driver, there will usually be an agreement that you sign, which may be part of your employment contract, confirming that you will adhere to the company’s driving policies. These policies will usually set out restrictions on company vehicle use, define non-compliant driving habits and explain your responsibility as the driver.
At Wessex Fleet we ask our corporate drivers to complete monthly vehicle checks which involve you checking the internal and external condition of the vehicle and providing us with an accurate mileage reading.
The reason that we ask you to complete these checks is to help you monitor the condition of your car and detect any issue with the vehicle as early on as possible.
If you ever have any questions about the vehicle or have a comment you need to pass onto the maintenance team then you can do this as part of the VMC as well as contacting us via phone or email.
For more guides to help you as a company driver head back to our company driver guides or view all our other guides for more general information.
