Stephen Briers

Peterborough

Group editor of Fleet News, Automotive Management and Smart Transport, follower of Bristol Rovers, Bristol Rugby and Deepings Swimming Club

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Articles

Big Logistics Diversity Challenge 2025 promotes benefits of diversity and inclusion

1 month ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

Physical, mental and skill-based challenges await teams taking part in The Big Logistics Diversity Challenge 2025. Back for its sixth year, The Big Logistics Diversity Challenge (BLDC) is designed to promote the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion across the logistics industry and the business benefits attained when companies improve diversity. The event takes place on June 26 at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, and is supported by Fleet News as a media partner.
New interim director announced at Defra Group Fleet Services

1 month ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

Tony Stevens has been appointed as interim director at Defra Group Fleet Services, the Government body which manages the fleet for several non-departmental public bodies, including Environment Agency, Natural England, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Rural Payments Agency.
Openreach hits halfway point in electric transition journey

1 month ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

Openreach has reached the midpoint in its net zero transition timetable with around 4,200 of its light commercial vehicle now fully electric, rising to 7,000 by the end of the 2025/26 financial year. While 7,000 represents just under 30% of the 25,000-strong van fleet, the BT subsidiary, which manages the copper wires and fibre cables that connect homes and businesses to phone and broadband, has fixed its completion date at March 2031, in consultation with the Science-Based Targets Initiative.
Microlise looks to extend footprint with van fleets

1 month ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

Truck technology supplier Microlise could return to the acquisition trail as it seeks to broaden its appeal in the van sector for its route planning and journey management software. Already dominant in the truck sector, monitoring data from more than 230,000 drivers, three-quarters of the UK’s HGV drivers, Microlise boosted its penetration in the van delivery and logistics sectors following the triple purchase of Vita Software in 2023 and Enterprise Software Systems and K-Safe in 2024.
Cybersecurity ‘is your most important risk’

1 month ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

Almost six out of 10 van and truck operators at last month’s Microlise transport conference have been impacted by a cybersecurity incident in the past couple of years, according to a snap survey. The implications can be far-reaching and time-consuming to resolve. Paul Crichard, chief information security officer at Serco, pointed to a case he’d been involved in that took a year to settle.
Fleet newcomer Rob Simister brings an ‘outsider’s view’ to Centrica

1 month ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

Fleet directors traditionally cut their teeth managing small fleets or absorbing knowledge in junior roles before being promoted into senior positions. But change is afoot, triggered by an evolution in the responsibilities of the fleet decision-maker. Some of the UK’s largest operators have started to look beyond the established fleet heartland when recruiting their strategic leaders.
How Octopus EV grew from start-up to one of the UK’s biggest salary sacrifice leasing providers

1 month ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

Octopus Electric Vehicles is shaking up the established order. In just four years, it has mushroomed from a disruptive leasing start-up to become the UK’s second biggest salary sacrifice provider, with a fleet of 27,000 cars plus another 3,500 in the order bank. Within the next 12 months or so, it plans to double its funded fleet size to around 60,000 cars, potentially leapfrogging Tusker to become the country’s largest sal/sac leasing company. In just five years.
New Stellantis structure to ‘reinstall fleet confidence’

2 months ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

Ten car and van brands, one central corporate team: that’s the complex conundrum facing the new B2B director at Stellantis, Tom Ray. Promoted from B2B operations director last November, Ray becomes the second incumbent to take on the challenge following the business reorganisation two years ago, after the short-lived tenure of Nick Richards (now director, pre-owned vehicles).
Artificial intelligence: a fleet manager’s friend or foe?

2 months ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

This article has been taken from the FN50 2024 special report, providing insight into the UK’s biggest car, van and truck contract hire, leasing and fleet management companies. It is sponsored by The AA, Ford, Allscreens Nationwide, Cox Automotive, Fleet Procure, FMG, Geotab, Jaama, Leasing Portal, Mer, Nexus, System Edstrom and vGroup International. Some have suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) could make people redundant.
The need for professional fleet managers is more important than ever

2 months ago | fleetnews.co.uk | Stephen Briers

This article has been taken from the FN50 2024 special report, providing insight into the UK’s biggest car, van and truck contract hire, leasing and fleet management companies. It is sponsored by Ford, Allscreens Nationwide, Cox Automotive, Fleet Procure, FMG, Geotab, Jaama, Leasing Portal, Mer, Nexus, System Edstrom and vGroup International. The role of the fleet decision-maker is more important than ever.