Plan to be the ‘new normal’ to beat 2022 shortages

Fleets should allocate time to plan ahead in 2022, when it comes to vehicle orders, rentals, and service, maintenance and repair needs, to help beat vehicle and parts shortages, Arval UK is advising.

As the impact of the pandemic and semiconductor shortages continue a forward-looking approach will help the fleet and mobility company to make sure that it can secure volumes of new vehicles for its customers’ orders and help them to remain mobile while servicing and repairs are underway.

Arval UK Commercial Director, Paul Hyne, said: “We’re working tirelessly behind the scenes using our strong relationships with manufacturers and supply partners to make sure that our customers’ vehicle orders, and service, maintenance and repair needs are met. However, the impact of the pandemic is here to stay for the foreseeable future – and our industry needs to change to stay ahead of the situation.

“We’re working with manufacturers to secure bulk orders of vehicle stock, so if we know a customer needs a particular type of vehicle or there are a number coming up for a service, MOT or repair, we will proactively work with our supply chain to ensure that there is limited downtime or that a rental vehicle is available where possible.

“The pandemic and semiconductor shortages have placed our industry in a position where forward planning is a necessity rather than a nice-to-have and we want to help our customers through this period.”

With almost 180,000 vehicles on its UK fleet, Arval UK has significant market presence and its dedicated teams in operations, procurement and customer services are working collaboratively to help its customers.

Paul added: “We’re finding that manufacturers are prioritising electric vehicle (EV) orders and that’s good news for fleets, with the favourable benefit in kind rates today. We’d urge customers, if they know they need larger numbers of a particular type of EV or they’re keen to transition to a particular electric van, to let us know in advance and we’ll forward order them where possible, as we know there’s such a need right now.”

Arval UK customers can speak with their Business Manager to discuss any specific requirements.