Activa Contracts has won a sole supply, full outsourcing fleet deal with Hammonds, a family furniture business, which designs, makes and installs furniture for homes from its purpose-built workshop in Leicestershire. In addition, Activa has supplied six diesel Citroen Berlingo vans and has become an extension of Hammonds’ fleet operation with fleet co-ordinator Charlotte Eccles-Gray taking on increased responsibility for the company’s HGV fleet, which numbers 10 tractor units and 12 trailers, with hopes that this year she will become a qualified transport manager.
Hammonds operates almost 60 company cars and its fleet now includes Audi, BMW, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota/Lexus and Volvo brands.
“Keeping our company car drivers happy is very important to the business. Since introducing the new expanded policy the feedback from employees has been very good,” said Ms Eccles-Gray, car fleet administrator at Hammonds. “Load space is particularly important to them and the choice now available, such as the BMW 1 Series and Volvo V40 and V60 is proving popular.”
The partnership between Activa Contracts and Hammonds also sees the contract hire and leasing company take on fleet management responsibility for the company cars, which now includes a no-quibble tyre replacement policy.
Activa Contracts has delivered diesel Berlingo vans on three year/90,000 mile contracts so that the newly recruited regional distribution centre managers/supervisors could drive them. Furthermore, Hammonds is just completing a trial of Lightfoot, sophisticated in-vehicle driver behaviour technology, which is part of Activa Contracts’ suite of vehicle and driver risk management solutions available to customers.
“We are looking at equipping all vans and company cars with Lightfoot,” said Mc Eccles-Gray. “Hammonds is very conscious of its environmental impact and the technology is helping to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.”
Meanwhile, Ms Eccles-Gray is hoping to complete her Driver Certificate of Professional Competence later this year and subsequently take on responsibility for Hammonds HGV fleet ‘Operator Licence’.
