Gefco UK has signed a six-year contract with commercial vehicle fleet services provider Fraikin for the supply and maintenance of 10 new car and van transporters. It builds on the contracts Fraikin has with Gefco for the provision of fleet services in France, Poland and Switzerland.
Fraikin reports being the largest commercial vehicle fleet services company in Europe, providing fleet management, contract hire and rental services amongst its offerings.
The transporters are 44-tonne DAF CF trucks with Rolfo tri-axle trailers and have been supplied by Fraikin on a full service contract that includes all servicing, maintenance and repairs. The deal also covers road fund licencing, six-weekly safety inspections, annual MOT testing, tyre management and 24/7 roadside assistance, according to Gefco.
“We are delighted with our 10 new transporters supplied and delivered by Fraikin to Gefco Sheerness,” said Gefco UK’s finished vehicles logistics director, John Stocker. “We are also thrilled with the extension of the existing Gefco/Fraikin European relationship and their continued support throughout this process.”
Gefco uses land at Sheerness Docks on the south-east coast for vehicle storage and from where it distributes vehicles to dealers across the UK.
Fraikin is also providing real-time information on the transporters through its web portal, Fraikin View. This application provides information about the availability and compliance of the vehicles. The system allows customers to report vehicle defects online, access a vehicle’s full service history and monitor the up-to-the-minute progress of vehicle breakdowns. Gefco explained that it also lists planned maintenance work, helping customers to optimise fleet scheduling, and hosts important vehicle documentation and fleet information to aid compliance.
“We chose Fraikin to supply our vehicles because they were able to offer the service to support the complex needs of the vehicle transporter market, their ability to meet our precise Euro VI vehicle specification requirements and the strength of their extensive maintenance network.”
Gefco said its decision to hire the vehicles, rather than buy them outright, allowed it to know precisely what each new asset would cost over the full six-year term.
“When the contract concludes in 2022, the vehicles will be returned to Fraikin, meaning Gefco UK has none of the hassles typically associated with disposing of specialist commercial vehicles and trailers,” said the company in a statement.
Gefco has more than 150 depots throughout Europe, including 10 in the UK.
