PRESS RELEASE
Release date: 19thOctober 2016
Unnecessary DPF replacements keeping fleets at a standstill warns expert
Latest figures show that each fleet vehicle being off the road costs businesses £500 per day. And to add to this, research from DPF Clean Team has revealed that 7 out of 10 fleet managers are being advised to have DPF units replaced unnecessarily when they could be restored quickly and cost-effectively with a thorough DPF clean.
Nationwide automotive reconditioning specialist DPF Clean Team's latest research has uncovered a worryingly high level of inaccurate advice given to 70 percent of fleet owners by garages, leading to avoidable costs and downtime. According to DPF Clean Team, a lack of knowledge and training on the part of garage technicians relating to DPFs is behind the growth in vehicle owners being incorrectly advised.
The research from DPF Clean Team comes as a report from the RAC has shown the average cost for businesses forced to take a vehicle off the road is an average of £500 per day per vehicle, with findings from the Freight Transport Association also showing that the average unplanned downtime for fleet operators amounts to six days per year. This level of disruption can have a significant financial impact on businesses with fleet vehicles.
DPF Clean Team's research follows a busy year for the company, which has seen a number of developments including the introduction of a rapid new cleaning method for DPFs; a service which is the first of its kind in the UK. Utilising induction heating technology, DPF Clean Team can now effectively clean a DPF unit as well as catalytic converters and silencers in far less time using a kiln and clean cycle and still for a fraction of the cost of having the filter replaced. Although, DPF Clean Team has a 96% successful clean range, the percentage of fleet vehicles that do require a replacement filter can also now have a new or reconditioned filter fitted from stock carried by the company, which also provides a much a quicker turnaround time, usually within 24 hours.
Speaking about the research, Director at DPF Clean Team, Cameron Bryce explained: "Our research has uncovered a worryingly high level of inaccurate advice given to vehicle owners regarding DPFs from garages and vehicle technicians. We are not suggesting this is deliberate. In fact, it appears to be a combination of a lack of knowledge and technical ability about DPFs. Regular maintenance of vehicles is a significant consideration for fleet managers not just in terms of costs, but also in relation to downtime and the impact this has on businesses. The cost of having a DPF replaced can cost as much as £2,000 per vehicle, and that's before the cost incurred by taking a vehicle off the road is even considered. By having DPFs unnecessarily replaced, fleet managers could also be wasting tens of thousands of pounds per year."
Speaking about the alternatives, Cameron continued: "The research conducted amongst our customer base has shown that the vast majority of DPF filters can be cleaned without the need for a replacement. DPF Clean Team's special heating technology enables our trained experts to bring filters back to a near-new condition, enabling fleet managers to have entire fleets serviced within a day. We also offer an additional Saturday drop off service which means we can ensure business disruption is kept to a minimum for our customers."
On the rare occasion that a DPF is beyond regeneration, DPF Clean Team also has a number of cost effective replacement options, including the ability to provide both new and reconditioned units, ensuring fleets are kept on the road whatever the issue.
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About DPF Clean Team
Based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, DPF Clean Team has over 15 years' experience in the motor parts reconditioning industry and is one of a handful of companies in the UK to offer a full SCR and DPF cleaning service to independent or franchise garages and commercial fleet and plant operators across the country.
DPF Clean Team has sought worldwide best practice and undergone extensive training to be able to offer its unique DPF cleaning service, developing flow test results in conjunction with University of Nottingham.
DPF Clean Team is committed to providing excellent customer service and a cost-effect and legal solution for the trade to offer customers.
For further information, please contact:
Denise Taylor
Bridge PR & Media Services
T: 024 7652 0025
E: denise@bridgepr.co.uk