Fleet Awards for Michelin and Kwik-Fit

Michelin and Kwik-Fit were among the companies who picked up awards at the 2008 Van Fleet World Honours ceremony, held at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, in mid May. These annual awards are presented to those companies, individuals and organisations that are judged to have achieved “the highest possible level of excellence” in the opinion of the judging panel – a panel made up industry professionals.

Van Fleet World editor John Kendall presented Michelin with the Environment Award for the tyre manufacturer’s latest Agilis van tyre, for light CVs between 2800 and 3500kg. He said that most drivers view their tyres as “round, black and not very interesting, but fitting the right tyre can have a notable impact on a fleet’s carbon footprint.”

Michelin claims that the completely new construction of the Agilis improves fuel efficiency and reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Indeed, Michelin’s figures suggest that, after covering 53,000 miles, the improvement in fuel consumption will have paid for one tyre – and this calculation was made before fuel price started going through the roof.

The new Agilis is designed to last around 20 per cent longer than its predecessor, so there is another environmental benefit as the number of tyres needing to be recycled will be reduced. In addition to its undoubted green credentials, the Agilis also offers improved safety performance, with a shorter braking distance.

“Environmental gains that make few demands on drivers or fleet managers are likely to be more successful, particularly if the benefits also include reduced costs,” commented John Kendall.

Double celebration for Kwik-Fit Fleet

Kwik-Fit Fleet is celebrating its 21st Anniversary this year and the icing on the cake came when the company won the Fleet Driver Service Award at the Van Fleet World ceremony. It is a measure of the success of Kwik-Fit Fleet that this latest accolade brings the total of industry awards won by the company to 65 in its 21 years.

In presenting the award, John Kendall said that “you only have to look at the way in which Kwik-Fit Fleet has expanded the range of services it offers to understand why the company is a worthy winner of this award.”

In the last 12 months, this expansion has included a new, “While U Wait”, fleet-specific vehicle servicing offer, the launch of air conditioning recharging and windscreen repair services and an increase in the number of centres offering servicing and MOT facilities. The number of mobile units in the fleet has also been increased.

Mike Wise, Head of Kwik-Fit Fleet, explained the company’s philosophy, saying: “As the UK fleet market continues to evolve, so Kwik-Fit Fleet will continue to expand its service offering to meet the demands of fleet operators and van and company car drivers.”