TransLinc introduces measures to reduce client de-hire costs

TransLinc, the leading provider of specialist vehicles to 50 local authorities has announced a range of measures to help its clients reduce end of contract damage costs.

Every new car, van, passenger vehicle and truck supplied by TransLinc, will be delivered complete with heavy duty driver and passenger seat covers and rubber floormats to protect the vehicle’s interior.

TransLinc estimates that this initiative could save its customers an average £120 in de-hire valeting costs where the condition of a vehicle coming off contract goes beyond the Fair Wear and Tear standards stipulated by the BVRLA.

In addition, TransLinc is partnering with the Key Club by supplying unique key fobs. The Key Club helps repatriate lost keys with their owners and TransLinc is encouraging customers to register with the service.

Lost keys not only result in expensive charges to supply new ones and replace locks (around £200 per incident), but it could also mean the vehicle has to be taken out of service. This in itself is a cost, as productivity suffers.

Registering with the Key Club also helps to avoid incurring extra de-hire costs from not returning a vehicle’s spare keys when the vehicle is handed back.

“Seat material rips, heavily soiled interiors and lost keys are some of the most common reasons we have to pass on costs to our clients at the end of a contract,” explained Paul Wood, TransLinc’s Fleet Services Director.

“Local authorities typically keep their vehicles on average between 5-7 years and in that time they are used very extensively by a number of different employees, so the risk of interiors collecting dirt and damage along the way, or keys being lost, is quite high.

“By adopting these new measures we hope to keep their de-hire damage costs to a bare minimum, at a time when local authority budgets are coming under increasing pressure,” he added.

TransLinc is also hopeful that because the vehicles coming back off contract will be in better condition they will be worth more money in the used market.

Paul continued: “Typically local authority vehicles have low mileages on them but are normally quite old. Vehicle condition is a key driver of used vehicle value beyond five years, so hopefully we should see a slight upturn in this area.”