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Gratte Brothers: Reaping the Rewards of a Thorough Approach

30 January 2014

There’s no doubt about it: at a time when businesses are seeking as many ways as possible to get ahead, taking a rigorous approach to fleet management is a smart move. Accurate records and analysis of key trends allows companies to take control of the impact their fleet has on their business. Meanwhile, this type of best-practice approach can also offer bonuses beyond the expected… 

Building services company Gratte Brothers found this out first-hand when it sought a stamp of approval from the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS). FORS is a voluntary scheme for businesses operating fleets of vans, lorries, mini buses, coaches and buses, and it sets the bar when it comes to maintaining high standards. For Gratte vehicles that need to enter construction sites it is a particularly valuable accreditation. As part of the FORS assessment Gratte was asked to provide evidence of operational details, ranging from up-to-date fleet lists to service schedules and tyre records. Fortunately, the process was made easy thanks to the information Marshall Leasing had to hand.

“FORS is a particularly valuable accreditation for us as construction companies are increasingly requiring evidence that vehicles going on site will meet certain standards,” says Danny Alborough at Gratte. “To qualify you need to comply with a wide range of standards and procedures. Marshall Leasing was able to help us out without even realising it thanks to the information they give us each month and the extra details they keep on file. It made our jobs a lot easier, and as a result we gained our FORS certification after just a 3.5 hour audit on our fleet.”

Danny Alborough receiving his FORS certificate

Marshall Leasing’s Richard Baird comments, “The value of a rigorous approach to fleet management can’t be stressed enough. Having all the data at your disposal means you can make informed decisions about the role of certain vehicles, about the efficiency of your fleet, and about the value that fleet is adding to your business. As in the case of Gratte, you never know when that information will prove useful in other ways as well. Anything that businesses can be doing to stay one step ahead of the competition has to be worthwhile.”

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