With the support of their colleagues across the country, and tutors at Bristol College, the Apprentices will complete a mixture of workshop and classroom based training, while working towards their Diploma in Heavy Vehicle Maintenance and Repair.

The intensive three-year course incorporates an NVQ Level 2 in Health and Safety, as well as IRTEC Registration. With a varied syllabus covering everything from chassis technology, brakes, tyres and suspension to advanced engine diagnostics, the students gain solid knowledge to build a career in the transport industry.

Current Fraikin Apprentices Jared Wood & Jake Nicoll, based at the Oak Tree Road site in Coventry, are very positive about their prospects for the future.

Jared, a former pupil of Pool Hayes School in Willenhall,West Midlands, started his Apprenticeship straight after leaving school at the age of 16. With only limited experience from a Saturday job in a garage but huge enthusiasm for the industry, Jared was delighted when he was offered a place on the scheme.

He said “At school, I did two or three subjects which gave me good grounding for this job – including design and technology. I always knew what I wanted to do but with Apprenticeships the impression was that I would be making tea all the time. It has never been like that at Fraikin, from day one I’ve had to get stuck in.

In the long term I’d like to work my way up and perhaps be a manager, through the Apprenticeship I’m gaining well rounded knowledge and getting to know the business.”

Jake Nicoll is a former pupil of North Leamington School in Warwickshire. He began his Apprenticeship with Fraikin in October last year. He said; “I am three months into my training and already feel like it’s giving me so much. Every day I’m gaining knowledge and broadening my practical skills.

Within three years I will be qualified, and after that I’m hoping to keep climbing the career ladder. I’m aiming as high as I can.”

Fraikin are extremely proud of their Apprenticeship programme, as it is a key part of sustaining maintenance capability for the growing business. With over 17,000 assets in their fleet and high profile clients, who include companies such as GEOAmey, Sainsbury’s, Scottish Power and City Link, the expertise of technicians at workshops across the country is vital.

Peter Backhouse, Chief Executive Officer at Fraikin Ltd, said; “Our Apprenticeship scheme has proven a valuable asset to the company. We are in a market where heavy vehicle technicians are not easy to come by – most of our workers are aged 35 plus. By bringing in younger people and investing in their future we are adding to our highly skilled workforce, which in turn benefits our business and it’s existing and prospective customers.”

Location:        Coventry

A vacancy has arisen for a Maintenance Controller based within the Fleet Management Support Centre at Head Office, Coventry.

Supporting the Coordinators, you will have responsibility for day to day provision of cost effective maintenance solutions to achieve maximum cost reductions / effectiveness, vehicle availability and quality.

Key Accountabilities:

• To provide ongoing maintenance control for all assets under Fraikin Control.
• Ensure cost effective maintenance solutions are met on every occasion by checking history and warranty.
• Challenge all work to ensure that all maintenance is carried out to cost and quality standards and vehicle downtime is kept to a minimum.
• Monitoring and controlling VOC’s and ensure maintenance spend is kept within set budgets.
• Identify issues with suppliers and resolve whilst maintaining and building an effective relationship.
• Liaise with the Engineering department where satisfactory resolutions cannot be met.
• When rechargeable work is carried out, ensure the relevant costs are accrued and coded as such.
• Regular communication to the Customer as work progresses through to completion.   

To be successful in this role you will need to be/have:

• Good standard of Education with a minimum of GCSE Maths and English or equivalent.
• Previous experience (or similar) within a busy maintenance control room environment.
• Knowledge of and a background from the commercial vehicle transport industry.
• Technical knowledge of light and heavy commercial vehicles and good understanding of vehicle engineering and road transport law.
• In depth knowledge of repair times and parts cost.
• Proven track record of cost management within a similar environment.
• Negotiating and communication skills at all levels.
• I.T literate.
• Will work best on their own initiative and take pride in ensuring that work is seen through to completion.
• To be flexible in attitude in providing solutions to problems.
• Able to interact confidently with customers, suppliers, be a team player, and build credibility with same.

Benefits:

• Highly competitive salary commensurate with location and experience.
• Excellent training and progression opportunities across the organisation.
• 22 days holiday rising to 25 days with service.
• Contributory Group Personal Pension with matching contributions up to 6% of salary. Salary sacrifice scheme allowing great opportunities to increase your contribution and pay less tax.
• Life Assurance of 4 times salary if you are member of the pension scheme.
• Life Assurance of 2 times salary if you are not a member of the pension scheme.
• On site parking.
• Child care voucher scheme.

Location:        Coventry

A vacancy has arisen for a Commercial Assistant to cover maternity leave at Head Office for a 9-12 month period.

The role involves supporting the Commercial Department and Strategic Sales Department by providing quote analysis, organising the tender process, business retention reporting and confidential administrative support.

Key Accountabilities:

• Production of the monthly commercial report and other ad-hoc reports & presentations.
• Management of all tender notification sites, e.g. Achilles, Bravo, OJEU.
• Responsible for expressing interest, managing the clarification communication, producing and writing PQQ responses with assistance from other areas of the business.
• Ensuring all tenders are completed in a timely manner and tracked throughout.
• Supporting the Commercial Department in reviewing quotations and appraising deals to include quote file management.
• Responsible for administration and upkeep of Oracle CRM system in the UK– including pipeline accuracy and information integrity.
• Recording and reporting of monthly sales numbers for BDM and CDM’s for Contract Hire and FM as well as to Sales Director for ELT submission.
• Business retention & fleet reporting for Contract Hire

To be successful in this role you will need to be/have:

• Experience of the commercial vehicle sector
• Good understanding of core business offerings including Contract Hire & Fleet Management
• Ability to work to tight deadlines
• Good understanding of IT packages including Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• Strong communication skills
• Highly literate with previous experience in writing proposals.
• Accurate with good attention to detail.
• Numerate & experienced in writing proposal
• Educated to A level standard or equivalent

Location:        Heathrow

We are now looking to appoint a Service Manager based in Heathrow. Reporting to the General Manager you will be required to provide an excellent service to our customers and ensure efficient and profitable management of the workshop.

Responsibilities include:

• Managing all workshop activity to ensure maximum workshop efficiency and performance.
• Ensuring Company standards regarding Preventative Maintenance slippage are achieved or exceeded.
• Conduct regular breakdown review and defect meetings to develop action plans to eliminate maintenance deficiency.
• Ensuring maintenance standards are fully met through regular audits/quality inspections.
• Managing budgets, M&R Costs and working to KPI’s to deliver improvement in the operational performance of the workshop.
• Supporting the development of good customer relationships ensuring Customer Service is delivered in line with our commitment to quality.
• Ensuring that all Fraikin deliver a service to meet contractual obligations and SLAs; resolving problems where necessary and taking appropriate remedial action.
• Ensuring that SHEQ standards are adhered to and all legislative requirements are met.
• Managing the team in the workshop including carrying out bi annual staff Performance Reviews and identifying training needs.
• Carrying out briefings and ensuring that all relevant information is communicated internally on a regular basis.

To be successful in this role you will need to be/have:

• Previously managed an efficient workshop or time critical maintenance operation within the commercial vehicle environment.
• Proven experience in managing budgets and tightly controlling costs across the workshop.
• Ability to work to KPI’s and show action plans to improve performance.
• Able to demonstrate substantial experience of working with customers and suppliers and building relationships at all levels.
• The ability to motivate staff, carry out appraisals and identify training needs to improve performance and develop staff.
• Time served engineer or equivalent.
• Flexible in approach and prepared to travel to customer visits/ meetings.
• National CPC holder would be advantageous.
• IOSH Managing Safely Qualification or equivalent would be advantageous.
• A proactive approach to problem resolution.
• Good IT Skills in particular MS Office.
• Driving licence.

Benefits:

• Highly competitive salary commensurate with location and experience.
• Car Allowance.
• Excellent training and progression opportunities across the organisation.
• 22 days holiday rising to 25 days with service.
• Contributory Group Personal Pension with matching contributions up to 6% of salary. Salary sacrifice scheme allowing great opportunities to increase your contribution and pay less tax.
• Life Assurance of 4 times salary if you are member of the pension scheme.
• Life Assurance of 2 times salary if you are not a member of the pension scheme.
• On site parking.
• Child care voucher scheme

The company has increased its fleet management sales by more than 8,000 vehicles in the past 12 months alone, capitalising on a growing trend for companies to outsource in testing economic times.

Among those making the big cultural shift are Cartwright, Scottish Power and Sainsbury, all of which used to manage their fleets in-house until they decided to tap into Fraikin’s substantial expertise.

On the contract hire side of the business Fraikin has been equally successful, winning its biggest single contract in its 33-year history in the UK, signalling a staggering £27 million capital investment by the company.

That landmark contract is to provide over 400 custodial cell vehicles to GEO Amey PECS Limited (GEOAmey), a joint venture between The GEO Group Inc. a global provider of correctional, detention and treatment services as well as secure transportation and Amey, a leading UK public services provider. 

Peter Backhouse, Chief Executive Officer of Fraikin, said: “As a business we are developing a wide and diverse portfolio of valued customers whose needs range from just one vehicle to hundreds of vehicles.  We have been very successful in moving ourselves into the higher level of service value for the customer. I think that’s borne out by the kind of clients that we are now attracting, such as Scottish Power, GEO Amey, Sainsbury and Cartwright, all customers with a high service expectation and a very demanding operating environment.”

“We were delighted when Scottish Power set the trend in place. It has shown us that if we make the right proposition, engage the customer in the right way, and provide a competitive proposition, then there’s business to be secured. We implemented a major opportunity against a very, very tight deadline.”

Having successfully bucked the trend during the recession – even its rentals operation has remained buoyant, more or less escaping the customary seasonal January lull – Fraikin has plans for further expansion in the UK. 

“We are expecting to see growth and to see earnings improved further,” said Mr. Backhouse. “We have a tremendous amount of support from our credit lines, a tremendous amount of capital capability open to us.”

“I believe that by excelling in service you create a competitive advantage. As long as you are able to provide the service at a relatively competitive cost to the customer then you will capture that advantage and grow your business.”

As part of its drive to enhance services to customers, Fraikin has taken its 24/7 breakdown service back in-house, with nationwide cover being co-ordinated from a dedicated centre at Oldbury,West Midlands. There are plans to bring other essential services, such as servicing fridges, installing equipment and tyre management, back in house.

The company’s national network of dedicated repair centres will also be expanded in line with customer demand. Already Fraikin has established a “super centre” at Coventry Oaktree that services major customers and it has recently taken over a workshop facility on a five-acre site at Wythenshawe, Manchester.

Mr Backhouse said: “ Where we have a critical mass of customers we want to be able to service their needs ourselves. We will always have an element of outsourced partners on the maintenance side, but as a service business I want Fraikin people to be responding to our customers.”

“It’s the old cliché – you’re only as good as your last failure. I think that our people underpin all of our offering: the motivation and customer focus of our people is what makes a difference.  We detest failure and it is not a word in our vocabulary.”

” Through the hard work of our people I think we have taken a massive step forward for the future.”

Fraikin provides planning control, delivery, maintenance and 24-hour national breakdown cover for Scottish Power, which awarded Fraikin a four-year contract to manage its fleet of 2,842 commercial vehicles, auxiliary equipment and cars.

Similarly Cartwright has recently entrusted the management of its entire fleet of 4,400 trucks to Fraikin, in a deal which represents Fraikin’s largest fleet management contract to date in the UK. Sainsbury has awarded a four-year contract to manage 220 home delivery 3.5 tonne vans in the South East.

Location:        Coventry

The Vehicle Supply Chain is a business critical department and the need for process control is vital to ensure exceptional customer service is achieved.

Following a number of secondments onto the Synergy project, we are now looking to recruit a VSC Executive. Reporting to the Team Leader, you will be responsible for ensuring that all requests for quotations, proposals and orders are dealt with in an accurate and timely manner and to ensure that customers’ vehicles are delivered to the correct specification and according to original delivery schedule. We anticipate this role to last until the end of 2012.

Key Accountabilities:

• Ensure the accuracy of vehicle / customer specification before entering into the SCP model.
• Production and monitoring of quotes which must be produced to the required specification, and in line with KPI timeframe.
• Production of new proposals to provide to the customer our contractual paperwork.
• Produce ‘Vehicle Order Packs’, which contain all required documentation relating to customer orders, to allow the processing of an order.
• Produce build schedules to provide the business with delivery expectations.
• Progress chase builds to ensure that set delivery expectations are maintained or exceptions are reported.
• Pre-delivery actions to ensure seamless delivery of vehicles.
• Adhere to VSC processes and ensure that all documents are completed and filed.

To be successful in this role you will need to be/have:

• Good interpersonal skills and a customer-focussed approach are essential.
• The ability to manage / control processes.
• Strong problem solving skills.
• The ability to work on own initiative and take pride in ensuring that work is seen through to completion.
• Able to interact confidently with customers, suppliers, be a team player, and build credibility with same.
• Commercial awareness and knowledge of the commercial vehicle transport industry would be advantageous.  
• Good standard of Education with a minimum of GCSE Maths and English or equivalent.
• I.T literate.

Benefits:

• Highly competitive salary commensurate with location and experience.
• Excellent training and progression opportunities across the organisation.
• Life Assurance of 2 times salary if you are not a member of the pension scheme.
• On site parking.
• Child care voucher scheme.

Fraikin has won a prestigious contract from J. Sainsbury plc to manage and maintain 220 of its 3.5 tonne Sainsbury’s Online home delivery vehicles in the South East.

Under the terms of the contract Fraikin will not only be responsible for providing the fleet management for each of the vehicles which operate across an estate of 23 stores (spanning over an 80 mile radius), but also the recovery and repair of the vehicles with a guaranteed 90 minute response time.

A vehicle first aid pack is supplied with each vehicle to remedy minor defects such as light bulbs.  Additionally, a user guide is provided by Fraikin to ensure that the drivers are familiar with the vehicle and importantly understand how to operate it safely within residential and built up environments.

Sainsbury’s prides itself on the level of service it provides to its customers and a key objective of the relationship will therefore be to minimise downtime to ensure that Sainsbury’s is able to maintain a constant level of service 363 days a year within its one hour delivery slots.

In order to achieve this Fraikin will be introducing a proactive maintenance programme and in order to keep breakdowns to a minimum each vehicle will be serviced every twelve weeks.   To further increase efficiency all servicing will be carried out at the store by fully equipped mobile service vehicles.

These measures are further supplemented by the fact that the drivers are required to carry out a full vehicle and safety check before the vehicle leaves the store each day.  

It is a significant win for Fraikin and one which will enable the company to demonstrate what it does best in terms of providing a premier fleet management service to maximise the use of the fleet during peaks and troughs as well as being able to deliver close cost control supported by robust reporting procedures.

Any issues with the vehicles will be channelled straight to Fraikin and breakdowns will be managed through the company’s own breakdown centre at Oldbury.

Peter Backhouse, CEO, Fraikin commented:  “We are delighted to be involved in such a high profile contract and add J. Sainsbury to our customer portfolio.”

“As the UK’s leading provider of commercial fleet services, Fraikin is ideally placed to manage a high service content contract such as this.” 

“The fact that the vehicles span across such a distance will no doubt create its own logistical issues but ones which we are well geared up to cater for through our network of workshop facilities and maintenance partners.”

“Furthermore the fact that we have our own breakdown centre which is manned on a 24/7 basis 365 days a year will be a major bonus and in the event of a breakdown occurring our team of technicians will be able to quickly determine what course of action needs to be taken.  All are acutely aware that fast response is critical because of the perishable items on board.”

“Additionally as cost control is a major factor we will constantly be looking at ways of introducing both greater efficiencies and increased value for money solutions for Sainsburys.”

J Sainsbury plc currently operates approximately 1,350 home delivery vehicles in the UK.

Fraikin has been awarded five lots under the framework agreement for vehicle leasingby Government Procurement Service.

This achievement opens up new access to a range of UK public organisations including central and local government, devolved administrations, health, education and the Not for Profit sector.

The Government Procurement Service specialises in providing value-for-money, procurement solutions that are fully EU compliant for public sector and it has agreements with around 1,500 suppliers for ½ million products and services.

The five lots for vehicle leasing that Fraikin has been awarded are:
• Lot 2: passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes requiring conversion, as well as light commercial vehicles between 3.5 and 7 tonnes.
• Lot 3: Commercial vehicles of 7.5 tonnes and above including trailers with the option to provide municipal vehicles
• Lot 4: Commercial vehicles of 7.5 tonnes and above from a single manufacturer
• Lot 5: Buses and coaches, excluding minibuses
•Lot 6: Motorcycles with the option to supply quad bikes

 
David Farbon of Fraikin said: “We are delighted to have been awarded five lots under the framework agreement for vehicle leasing with Government Procurement Service that encompass such a large variety of vehicles.

“Fraikin has an established track record of helping its customers to find the best vehicle solution to suit their needs, both operationally and financially: in many cases our expertise saves customers’ money.”

“We look forward to a long and productive relationship with the public sector.”

Fraikin Ltd has been awarded a landmark specialist commercial vehicle solutions contract to provide over 400 custodial cell vehicles to GEO AmeyPECSLimited (GEOAmey).

GEOAmey is a joint venture between The GEO Group Inc. a global provider of correctional, detention and treatment services as well as secure transportation and Amey, a leading UK public services provider. 

GEOAmey has been awarded three contracts by the Ministry of Justice in the UK for the provision of Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) for England and Wales with the exception of London and the East of England commencing on 29 August 2011.   This will include escorting prisoners between courts and prisons, transfers between prisons and managing court custody suites and dock areas.

At the core of the contract will be the design and build of 401 dedicated custodial cell vehicles the chassis’s for which have been provided by Iveco and Renault and the bodies manufactured by the Cartwright Group.  These vehicles will be responsible for daily prisoner movements requiring Fraikin to deliver an innovative and sustainable solution.

The contract will run for an initial term of seven years and is the biggest single contract to be awarded in Fraikin’s 33 yearUKhistory signalling a staggering £27 million capital investment by the company.

It is a tremendous coup for the Coventry based company and one which is testimony to the company’s revered position in the market. 

Under the terms of the contract, Fraikin will be responsible for managing the total supply chain, delivering a full contract hire solution comprising finance, maintenance, management and working with the customer to provide a total vehicle solution. 

More specifically, Fraikin will be sourcing the vehicles, appointing partners and overseeing build progression in time to meet the summer delivery date.  Thereafter, the company will be responsible for a full range of integrated fleet management services including the entire vehicle maintenance and repair. 

Peter Backhouse, Chief Executive, commented:  “Winning the contract with GEOAmey is a fantastic achievement for us as a business.  Indeed it is a milestone in Fraikin’s history and one which not only enables us to showcase our ability to deliver a full vehicle solutions offering, but also demonstrates our financial strength to the market.”

“It is not however without its challenges.  By the very nature of their usage the vehicles are required to be robust in design, to ensure the security and health and safety of the prisoners as well as taking into account environmental considerations within a tight timescale.”

 “However it is what we do best and we are very much looking forward to a long working relationship with GEOAmey.”