INTERVIEW


Starting any business in the last year has not been for the faint-hearted. Duncan Chumley talks Dan Gilkes through the launch of MyVanDirect


Flexibility built in to van leasing launch


Free2Move Lease business, he left to set up his own company in March 2020. That company was MyCarDirect, an online car subscription service aimed directly at the small to medium en- terprise (SME) market. Of course, global events conspired to throw that plan slightly, but the company final- ly launched in September of last year. With the car business now up and run- ning, he is moving to the second stage, with the introduction of MyVanDirect. “Light commercials were always in the business plan, but its only now that we’ve got stock,” said Chumley. The business concept revolves around one word, flexibility. Compa- nies pay a one-off joining fee and then a monthly subscription fee, for any- thing from one month to two years. You can even have a rolling one-month contract, though the majority of early users have opted for a 12-month term. “A lot of companies at the moment don’t know what the future holds,” said Chumley. “People are learning what the new economy is going to look like. That’s why we can be as flexible as you like.” Rather than simply leasing a van of a given size or weight


D 10 VANUSER • JUNE 2021


uncan Chumley is no stranger to the vehicle rental and leasing busi- ness. Previously man- aging director of PSA’s


class, customers log onto the website and choose an actual vehicle, reserv- ing that specific van for their use. They can choose manufacturer, trim level, colour and even some popular options. If the van is available online, the con- tract can start the next day, though specific vans can also be ordered to suit if they can wait.


Wider range At launch, the vehicles on offer cov- er most of the popular sizes up to 3.5-tonnes. This includes panel vans, minibuses and some conversions such as dropsides. The company also has a small number of pick-ups available. “We’d like to have a wider range of


vehicles as we grow,” said Chumley. “I’d like to get some refrigerated ve- hicles on the fleet too.” Once the customer has chosen the


van, it is delivered to their home or business premises, by MyVanDirect’s own staff, to ensure the customer expe- rience is retained throughout. The company is also building a net- work of six outlets across the UK, where subscribers can call in if they prefer. To date this includes the head of- fice location in Hemel Hempstead and a site in Birmingham.


The monthly sub- scription includes all costs, such as repair and maintenance


and tyres, there is even an insurance option through a partner company. Ser- vice work will be carried out by main dealers and by Kwikfit depots around the country. Customers can cover up to 2,000 miles a month in the vans, plus they can pay for additional mileage. When vehicles are returned, they are inspected in line with BVRLA stand- ards.


Telematics All of the vehicles are equipped with telematics, so the company can fore- warn customers of future service re- quirements. The telematic data can also be supplied to customers, if they would like to integrate it within their own fleet management software. In the longer term, the company will offer a full fleet management or telematic sys- tem through another partner business.


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