Frequenty Asked Questions

What is ACFO?

ACFO is a not-for-profit organisation. The main objectives are to provide a platform for fleet operators to meet together, and share their skills, experiences and techniques; and to represent the fleet operator community in government and other circles.

ACFO allows the people (often, but not always, with 'fleet manager' in their job title) who represent the member organisations to find common solutions to common problems and puts across the views of the demand side of the fleet market.

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What does ACFO do?

ACFO undertakes a wide range of activities, to help and support fleet operators across the UK. These activities can be grouped under two main headings:

National

As a large representative body, ACFO deals with many Government departments on fleet-related matters. Among the bodies we regularly deal with are:

• DfT
• HMRC
• HM Treasury
• DWP
• DVLA
• BIS
• Home Office

Regular contact ensures that we have the opportunity to put members' views and concerns to the relevant authorities. Increasingly, Departments are approaching ACFO, to consult us before new legislation is framed.

We also maintain links with the major fleet manufacturers, and our members are regularly consulted on a wide range of topics. Manufacturers are generally anxious to deal with ACFO, because they recognise the professionalism, and the detail of our responses.

Regional

Each region (there are currently nine) runs its own programme of regional meetings. There are four meetings per year in each region.

Most regional meetings involve two sessions: a "business" meeting where ACFO business and general developments are discussed; and an "educational" session, which might include presentations from a manufacturer or telematics supplier, or information on insurance/risk management, or taxation matters etc. It is at these sessions that the real value of ACFO membership is developed. People facing the same range of problems, even from different industries and fleet sizes, can share experience, techniques and hard-won practical expertise.

Web

This web presence provides a great resource for fleet operators with independent and unbiased documentation on all aspects of “running a fleet”. It provides an easy channel for rapid distribution of valuable information to the membership, and offers a single point of access to the key information fleet managers and administrators need.

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So what can ACFO do for me?

A great deal!

At its simplest, you receive our weekly NewsFeed direct to your e-mail inbox every week. This is a digest of the important news about the market, government activity and trends. There are reminders of forthcoming events likely to be of interest to members.

Members also have access not only to the public parts of this web-site but much more, behind a password-protected area.

All of these features are available to all members, without limitation. They are also available with minimum commitment of time and energy. They are provided to make ACFO beneficial even to members who cannot easily attend the regional meetings.

But for only a little investment in attending some of the regional meetings, the benefits are extended significantly. Most fleet managers are self taught. Many have a wide range of other responsibilities. ACFO regional meetings provide the best forum for such people to come together to network, and to discuss the problems which face fleet managers on a regular basis. The people you meet may already have a solution to the problem that's just landed on your lap. A full evaluation technique you need, may be in everyday use by several other members.

The possibilities are endless - and they really do work to help members run their fleets more effectively.

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We've outsourced our fleet. Why do we need ACFO?

A significant number of existing members use contract hire or other forms of outsourcing – yet still benefit from the discussions on fleet topics. Outsourcing is a very valuable technique, but can’t include key operational or policy decisions, such as Duty of Care – or when to change supplier! Someone senior within the company must still wrestle with these issues. ACFO membership helps to provide information about the whole market choice, through the experience of other fleets.

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We only have a few cars. Would it be worth our while?

Size is not a factor in ACFO membership. That’s one reason why we have a flat-rate subscription fee.

Small fleets get particular benefit, meeting one on one with professionals and experienced fleet managers from larger fleets. Some of the techniques may not be transferable – but many are. A large percentage of our members run less than 25 vehicles. We know that they derive great benefit from the information available at regional meetings – because they tell us!

ACFO also provides the only platform for the views of small fleet operators. We know that they have special needs, especially over cost control. Through a large representative body like ACFO, they can protect their needs, and be sure that their interests are served, as well as those of big fleets.

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My company runs a very large fleet, and we deal directly with manufacturers

Within your own terms, you might be self-sufficient. But even the largest and most professionally run fleet can always benefit from parallel views, and the techniques developed elsewhere in the market. Direct contact with manufacturers is valuable, but it cannot cover the whole spread of fleet management issues.

As well as learning from ACFO, large fleets can, of course, always make a significant contribution to the body of information available to all fleets. This can be done without affecting commercial interests or breaking confidences. And even the very largest fleet cannot hope to have the same representation with government agencies, as ACFO's collective voice when it makes representations to Treasury departments and other such bodies.

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I'm always under too much pressure, and too busy to get to meetings

This is a common complaint. The harsh economic climate makes it difficult to justify any time spent away from the office.

Those who do attend ACFO meetings know that they really are valuable. We have recorded cases of large financial pay-backs within a few weeks of a single meeting. Learning new techniques in fleet management might easily make life much easier for you in the future.

The simple truth is that "you don't know what you don't know". You can never measure the benefits that you miss out on.

But this web-site can cover a great deal of the same information, news and ideas through the various sections and of course the minutes of the meetings which are held across the country.

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Fleet's only one part of my job

But it's probably one of the most expensive and emotive parts!

Many people in ACFO share the same circumstances. Yet they recognise the benefit of speaking occasionally with other people who face the same problems, and who have developed a wide range of techniques and solutions to these.

Put simply, it's one of the easiest and quickest ways to shorten the learning curve in fleet management - and that almost always leads to lower fleet costs.

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I'm not a professional fleet manager - I'm an accountant/ purchasing manager/ personnel officer/ facilities manager. I'm sure I would appear to be very naive

Two main points on this. Firstly, everyone has to start somewhere. Very few ACFO members are in full-time fleet management, and most people have a mixed bag of responsibilities. So you don’t need to worry about looking out of place.

Secondly, ACFO has links with one of the country's leading specialist training organisations. They already provide several levels of training courses, which have been approved by ACFO. Members enrolling on these courses, which are held regularly in various locations around the country, qualify for discounts.

So if you want formal training in fleet management, to help you in this aspect of your job, ACFO still has a valuable rôle to play, in addition to the informal "training" available through regional meetings.

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How is ACFO structured? Who is accountable? What rights do members have?

ACFO is constituted as a company, limited by the guarantee of its members. The sum total of this guarantee from each member is just £1 each, and only payable if the organisation becomes insolvent. This is in fact a fairly common form of structure for non-profit making trade bodies.

There are two levels of ruling body. We have a Board of Directors (6 in total), and a National Council. The National Council comprises the Board members, plus all the Regional Chairmen and Regional Secretaries, plus one or two other specialist members. They meet regularly, to discuss the range of services available to members, and other issues of interest to fleet managers.

Membership of ACFO is a corporate arrangement – although there is a single named contact for mailing purposes, other employees of the member may attend ACFO meetings to participate in the activities where this is relevant (this obviously excludes voting at the AGM etc). Even if the named contact leaves the company, the membership continues with the new nominated contact. This ensures that the member company has full continuity of service - and membership benefits.

Members are allocated to a single region (currently there are 9 regions across the country). All regional posts are voted in by the regional members at the region’s local AGM.

There are several classes of member, but by far the most important is "ordinary member". This is the class appropriate to a single fleet, being run from a single office, irrespective of size and actual distribution of the vehicles. Where a fleet has two or more different control centres, affiliate memberships are available for the satellite operations. Affiliates have, in general, almost the same level of benefit as full members, except that there are some restrictions on voting rights etc.

It is the membership which "owns" ACFO. Throughout the year, they can influence policy through regional meetings. Then, at the Annual General Meeting (usually held in May) any serious issues can be raised from the floor, subject to the normal provisions of our Memorandum & Articles of Association. In this way, each member has the opportunity to make a contribution to the policies of ACFO, and can receive details of how membership subscriptions are used and protected.

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What about the subscription?

There is a flat-rate membership fee for each grade. Ordinary membership costs just £170 per annum plus VAT. Affiliate memberships where appropriate cost just £127.50 per annum plus VAT. We also have a class of membership called "Retired Personal Membership", which cost just £14 plus VAT per annum. This grade exists to retain the expertise of those who have been in fleet management for some time, and who have now retired from full-time work. They can still make a valuable contribution to the work of ACFO.

There are scaled reductions in the first year fee for members joining part-way through the year. Click  here to see the current subscription schedule.

We believe that the subscription rates offer tremendous value for money. Most members expect to recover at least the value of their membership fee, through new tips and techniques that they hear about through ACFO contacts. To keep it in context, consider that £170 is about the same as:

• The cost of just 2 replacement tyres for a typical fleet car
• or 150 litres of diesel – enough for about 1,500 miles
• or Half an insurance policy excess
• or A minor service on one car or van
• or 80% of one annual VED charge
• or About 60% of a typical monthly contract hire charge for just one car

Set in this context, the membership fee cannot really be considered to be excessive, even for the smallest fleet. For larger fleets, it's an absolute bargain!

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It sounds a bit interesting, but I'm not quite convinced...

ACFO is an open and informal organisation. Interested fleet managers and prospective fleet members are always welcome to sit in on one or two regional meetings, to see for themselves how things are done, and how information is freely exchanged.

By registering your interest here, you will be sent a full membership information pack with regional contact points, application form etc.

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