Issues affecting the vehicle delivery sector today and a better model for its future are examined in a new white paper being launched by the Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA) this week.
Called “The future of trade plate vehicle delivery”, it was written by Gary Xuereb, who has four decades of industry experience and recently stepped down from the VRA board after years of service.
Subjects covered include the rise of the aggregator economy, why drivers are seen as second class, how the gig economy has changed the workforce, why customers attempt to pass claims downstream and the real cost of cheap delivery.
Gary said: “The trade plate vehicle delivery sector supports manufacturers, leasing companies, dealer groups, fleet operators and remarketing businesses by moving hundreds of thousands of vehicles every year – but despite handling assets worth billions of pounds, it has become driven primarily by cost rather than value.
“Margins have been compressed, drivers have become viewed as gig workers, digital aggregation platforms have commoditised services, and operators are expected to assume high financial risk for relatively low-value transactions. The result is an industry facing driver shortages, declining service quality, increased claims, and growing dissatisfaction from both customers and delivery providers.
“This paper explores the structural issues affecting the trade plate delivery market and outlines how progressive operators can differentiate themselves by focusing on professionalism, technology, evidence-based delivery, and customer partnership.”
Philip Nothard, chair at the VRA, said: “We regularly produce white papers briefing our members about key subjects, and this is perhaps one of the most fascinating, serving not just as an investigation of the current condition of the trade plate vehicle delivery sector but also as a potential manifesto for its future.
“It’s something of a parting gift to the VRA from Gary Xuereb, and we’d like to thank him for his contribution to the organisation over many years. He will be missed.”
The white paper is available to all VRA members as part of the organisation’s library of resources at www.thevra.co.uk.
