Fraikin has secured a significant new two year fleet management contract with the Environment Agency covering its construction plant, agricultural machinery, support vehicles and trailers which are principally used off-road.
The new agreement sees Fraikin support the Environment Agency's effective management of the fleet through the provision of a comprehensive repair and maintenance service. It builds on a relationship the company has previously enjoyed working for the Environment Agency's North East and South West Regions.
Emma Law, Senior Procurement Officer at the Environment Agency explains: "Appointing a single managing agent to look after this fleet enables us to benefit from significant efficiencies, in terms of both cost and the quality of service.
"We invited a number of suppliers to tender for this contract, before awarding the two year agreement to Fraikin after demonstrating its capacity and abilities to manage a national contract of this nature. Fraikin was also able to meet our rigorous demands in providing excellent service, technical competence and a commitment to Health & Safety."
The contract will be managed by Fraikin's dedicated Customer Service Centre (CSC) located within its head office in Coventry, providing 24 hour support, seven days a week. As part of the agreement, Fraikin will manage a third party network of service providers who will be responsible for all servicing, including repairs and the supply of tyres and glazing.
Fraikin's CSC is also responsible for facilitating a single-point service/repair booking facility covering all maintenance providers, via a central phone number dedicated to the Environment Agency. This includes offering a round-the-clock breakdown recovery service with a guaranteed maximum response time of three hours, covering all agricultural and plant fleet assets. As part of the new contract, Fraikin has supplied in-cab stickers identifying the emergency response number to drivers, including bi-lingual Welsh/English versions where appropriate.
In operation across England and Wales, the Environment Agency fleet is used to help protect the environment from threats such as flood and pollution and to enhance the environment as a whole. The Environment Agency's remit covers approximately 15 million hectares of land, 36,000 kilometres of river and 5,000 kilometres of coastline, including 2 million hectares of coastal waters. Vehicles and items of plant within the fleet range from tractors and grass cutting machines through to excavators and bulldozers. It also includes power generators, water pumps and commercial trailers.
Fraikin is a leading provider of commercial vehicle fleet services in the UK, with nearly 14,000 vehicles under its management and a depot and office infrastructure spanning the whole of the country. As part of the Fraikin Group, established in France in the late 1940s by Gérard Fraikin, Fraikin first brought its fleet expertise to the UK in 1978. The Group operates nearly 220 integrated service facilities across Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, Poland and the UK, and manages a European fleet of 50,000 vehicles. Fraikin employs over 3,000 staff across Europe, with a team of 550 based in the UK. Services include commercial vehicle contract hire, fleet management and rental. Further information is available from www.fraikin.co.uk