Member Article

Wearside company motors on with expansion by launching new service

A successful Sunderland-based vehicle rental business is expanding by launching a specialist division due to huge demand.

Car2U is a nationwide vehicle hire firm and highly regarded for providing dual-control cars, 4 x 4s and commercial vehicles with extras to organisations such as driving schools and accident management companies.

Thanks to the increasing demand for dual-control cars- which has doubled in the last year alone, Car2U has invested around £20,000 in the launch of Car2Instruct, a division dedicated to providing dual-control and short-term replacement vehicles for advanced driving instructors (ADIs) and pre-qualified driving instructors (PDIs), as well as motoring schools.

In the last year Car2U, which was established in 2010, has doubled its fleet in size and now hopes to become a leader in the field of dual control replacement vehicles thanks to its ability to provide cars quickly and at short notice. Its team of experts also offers rapid accident, service and breakdown response facilities with no tie-in contracts and a wide range of models available.

The aim of the business, based at Southwick Industrial Estate in Sunderland, is to keep instructors on the road by reacting fast and being able to deliver vehicles within just two hours. The company hopes to minimise loss of earnings for driving instructors in the event of an accident and also help newly-qualified instructors to get on the road quickly and start their business faster than what might be usually possible by providing a short term vehicle whilst they might have to wait for their own vehicles to be modified.

Car2Instruct was the brainchild of Car2U’s managing director, Gill Frary. Gill said: “As our business has developed in the last few years, we have noticed a real growth in demand from motoring schools for dual-control vehicles- demand has doubled in the last year alone. It has become such a huge part of Car2U’s business and, because we know customer service is paramount in the vehicle hire sector, we wanted to make sure that driving instructors up and down the country have easy and rapid access to replacement vehicles when they need them, hence we’ve set up Car2Instruct.

“This division of the business is really helping us to grow as there are very few similar companies around the UK and in particular in the North of England. We help to reduce loss of earnings and the associated worry of finding a replacement vehicle when accidents or breakdowns happen. We get instructors straight back on the road allowing them to continually offer their customers the best service possible.”

Car2U has recently been working with CSM Fleet Driver training to supply them with a number of vehicles. Paul Coleman from CSM, who is also the secretary of the Teesside Association of Professional Driving Instructors, said: “Car2U offers outstanding and prompt service even at very short notice. Vehicles are always immaculate and if we need to use them for longer than first anticipated, it is never a problem. Customer service is exceptional and the company can provide a full range of dual controlled cars when we need them which is why the company is always used by our members.”

In the last year, turnover at Car2U has increased by more than 50% which has seen it double its work force. The business plans to create three new jobs in the next year to add to its team of ten at its Sunderland HQ.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Addison .