Introduction
Fraser Tool Hire is an independent family-owned Tool and Plant Hire company, with a plant holding of over 6000 items. They serve large national construction companies and housebuilders, as well as Local Authorities the length and breadth of Scotland.
As it is not his only role in the business, Michael Lydon, Transport Manager, dedicates one day a week to look after the fleet of 2 x 26t Beavertails, 1 x 7.5t Beavertail, 1 x 3.5t Beavertail, 10 Toyota Hilux pickups, Renault Traffic, Master and Partner vans as well as several company cars.
Michael took over the running of the fleet in 2003, which was then running on a restricted O licence. In 2009 the company purchased two 26t lorries and expanded their fleet subsequently
moving to the Standard National licence. Fraser Tool Hire also gained and now maintain their FORS Silver accreditation.
Challenges
Michael’s biggest challenge was that a lot of his time was being taken up by relying on a mixture of paper and outlook calendars to keep track of what was required. His day to day responsibilities also included managing their FORS accreditation and Operators License compliance.
When it came to FORS accreditation, Michael found collating the required evidence a challenge. He said “My office was full of Daily Walkaround Books, pads for this, pads for that, invoices,
training records, wall charts and wee scraps of paper. Not exactly ideal…, this can take up extra time especially on the run-up to an audit. “
How FleetCheck Helped
After spending months preparing for a Bronze FORS audit, Michael was convinced that there was a simpler way to do it all. Being technically-minded, he has already integrated technology into the company, so he set about looking for a solution.
It soon became apparent that FORS Fleet Management System (FORS FMS), powered by FleetCheck, was the perfect platform to solve Michael’s issues and concerns. Using this dedicated software platform, Fraser Tool Hire easily maintained their FORS Bronze accreditation and moved, effortlessly, to Silver.
Michael said “To think about the amount of time and money I have wasted over the years is a shame. Then finding this product, that I initially thought was too good to be true, was great.
FleetCheck is a godsend, and I only regret not finding it earlier…I cannot believe how good value it is.”“The support I receive is fantastic, I tend to email any queries which are replied to, with the answer in a very timely manner. To date, they have never been stuck!”
Results
When asked about the results Michael said “Basically, we remain on the correct side of the law, I can see everything that has happened, is about to happen and what needs to be organised. Right in front of me, in one place. No more trawling through filing cabinets looking for the elusive piece of paper. It comes in, you scan it, upload it to the site and file it away. Then when you need to reference it, it is a matter of a click away. Brilliant!
In these strange, unprecedented times, not only due to COVID but with the economic uncertainty we all have to deal with, the last thing you need is to be letting your customers down. If you do,
there is always someone else they can turn to. Given 90% of our business is delivered to site, we require a reliable, cost-effective transport operation. Also, given that our business, like many
others, have to look closer at our fleet, and subsequently run vehicles for longer, they need to be looked after to prevent breakdowns or periods of VOR.”When asked if he would recommend FleetCheck, he concluded “100%, without hesitation, for me it is invaluable. FORS or not, if you run a fleet of vehicles, you need this! “