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a bespoke tyre fleet management and data storage system designed to assist in the effective management of vehicle fleets. VFM captures detailed information on all tyre and service related activities including transactional and financial details at wheel position level. It details service provider, date, time and location of work carried out, job sheet number, the reason for removal, tread depths, serial numbers of removed tyres and new tyres fitted, the destination of casings and any other service work carried out. It records and notifies service providers of the designated tyre and husbandry policy for each Vacu-Lug customer, which is vehicle specific. Hand held electronic inspection units transfer fleet inspection data directly into the VFM system, from where a bespoke range of reports can be generated. The system is also compatible with other data capture technologies. VFM holds all pricing related to specific contracts including policy preferences and service costs which are updated regularly following customer review meetings. It validates supplier invoices against work authorised and creates accurate invoicing in line with any contractual agreement.
Customers receive direct access to the web based VFM System via a secure log-in. Reports are available online on a 24/7 basis, but can equally be downloaded and saved to Excel and/or incorporated within other popular applications, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint.
All this means an operator can analyse fleet data, live, up to the last transaction, in summary or in detail, see accurate vehicle costs, see inspection data identifying any missed vehicles, have total visibility of spend, identify high cost areas, produce regular management reports and view costs by location, benchmarking a fleet’s performance. The Vacu-Lug Fleet Management service is backed up by VFM Tyre Rescue (managed by the Independent Tyre Distributors Network), the company’s nationwide emergency tyre breakdown service,
which is available 24/7, 365-days a year.
Add to this mix the distribution agreement with Westlake, and Vacu- lug are
also able to tender for whole life tyre
contracts, enabling them to continue to compete in a market where a lack of new tyre offer ostensibly shuts out any possibility of servicing the larger fleets.
However, the market is by no means closed as there are also the Bandag and Marangoni partners to take into account, not to mention the fast- growing Direct Tyre Management. Direct Tyre Management was formed in 2004 as a fleet tyre management operation, established by Steve Richardson, who had previously filled National Sales Director roles with both Motorway and ATS Euromaster. The Direct Tyre Management approach to the retread sector came about in a reversal of the expected route, in that Direct Tyre Management was already handling fleet tyre management, but had no retread offer
of its own.
In August 2009 the company acquired Wigan based pre-cure retreader Bestway Tyres and renamed it Direct Tyre Supplies, thereby assuring that DTM could offer a full cradle-to-grave service. In the meantime, production at Wigan has increased and the plant is now operating almost at full capacity. As a result, Richardson is now looking to set up a second plant, possibly by acquisition, and is also looking towards creating a mould cure retread solution.
DTM has a turnover of £17 million per annum and claims 4 per cent of the UK commercial tyre market. Now, following its recent acquisition by the NRG Fleet Services Group, Richardson is aiming to almost double turnover within three years
UNITED KINGDOM
Direct Tyre Management’s Steve Richardson