The company is using a new workshop complex at its Stoke-on-Trent headquarters to introduce an end-of-life service intended to help businesses make significant savings on de-fleeting costs.

John Cartwright, group operations manager, explained: ‘A number of providers see end-of-life as a big profit-making opportunity.

‘They carry out rigorous checks on vehicles returned at the end of their contracts and will often charge heavy penalties for even the slightest imperfection.

‘The best way for fleet managers to get around that is by having issues such as damaged bodywork repaired before the vehicles are sent back to their original providers – it’s far more cost-effective in the long run.

‘It can be a big logistical operation, particularly for large fleets. But now we have a high-tech workshop facility on site with plenty of compound space, it’s something we’re adding to our portfolio.’

Motiva will extend the service to cars, vans and trucks from any provider, including its own clients.

Cartwright added: ‘It shouldn’t affect our own customers too much because we make sure we’re always fair, perhaps overly fair, on end-of-life charges.

‘But this is something we can do for any vehicle wherever they’re leased from – whether they need smart repairs on superficial damage such as small dents and scratches, more complex bodywork or mechanical repair.

‘We’ll provide proper estimates, carry out the work ourselves or sub-contract to a third party and then organise the return of the vehicle to the original provider.

‘While managing end-of-life costs is not new to the marketplace, it’s something we’ve never been able to do before.

‘Now we have the facilities and technology along with the necessary ability to communicate effectively between each department.’