London is the fastest region in the UK and the South West the slowest for fleet vehicle service, maintenance and repair (SMR) lead times, new data reveals.
Analysis of Epyx’s 1link Service Network platform, used by fleets to manage SMR for over five million vehicles, shows the shortest average SMR lead time, measured between when a company car or van booking was created to when the vehicle went in for work, was 12.46 days in the capital.
This was followed by Yorkshire and the Humber at 12.91 days; North East 12.98; West Midlands 13.03; East Midlands 13.17; Wales 13.23; Scotland 13.26; North West 13.28; Northern Ireland 13.43; South East 13.54; East of England 13.66; and South West 13.86. The data covers the period between January 2023 and October 2024.
The gap between the best and worst areas in the country now stands at 1.4 days – which Epyx said was a surprisingly low variation overall.
Tim Meadows, CCO at the automotive solutions firm, explained: “Fleets operating in some relatively rural areas are accessing lead times that are comparable to London and other major conurbations where provision of franchise dealers, independent garages and fast-fits is ostensibly higher.
“What this probably indicates is that supply and demand for SMR is relatively evenly distributed across the UK, with no regions where there appears to be either shortages or surfeits of provision.”
The latest figures also show that the rise in national SMR times seen over the pandemic has remained in place – and that lead times seem unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels any time soon.
In October 2023, Epyx reported that national SMR lead times had risen by more than 57% since the start of the pandemic. In January 2020, the average time was 8.11 days but had increased to 12.76 days.
Meadows added: “Looking at our new regional and previous national figures together, it’s clear that lead times around 12-13 days are a trend right across the country. The factors that are affecting SMR providers, such as reduced access to parts, consumables and recruitment, have had a similar impact everywhere.
“For some time following the pandemic, lead times gradually increased and while this no longer appears to be the case, neither is it really improving. Garages in every region are very much at the mercy of forces beyond their control, and we expect lead times of the current length to persist for some time to come.”
