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Fleet service, maintenance and repair (SMR) has rebounded and is now back up to 60% of pre-coronavirus levels, according to e-commerce provider epyx.

The company said it was basing this assessment on usage levels of its vehicle maintenance management tool, 1link Service Network, used by fleets to manage their SMR processes.

Tim Meadows, epyx vice president and commercial director said: “In April, soon after lockdown, the number of jobsheets raised through the platform, which essentially represents the number of separate SMR transactions, fell as low as 18% of the average pre-coronavirus levels we had seen in February.

“Now, we are seeing definite signs of momentum with a noticeable increase in numbers every day.”

Meadows said 1link Service Network had remained relatively busy through the quietest times of the lockdown because of its use by essential worker fleets.

“Obviously, some parts of the fleet industry became completely inactive during lockdown but the platform plays an important part in supporting key workers, so we co-ordinated with our SMR providers to ensure there were sufficient outlets open to meet their needs,” he said.

“Today, those essential fleets are still in action but they are being joined by a wider range of businesses and other organisations who are at the leading edge of a more concerted return to work.”

He added that evidence was emerging of SMR issues arising with vehicles as they returned to service and urged fleet managers to take care: “We’re hearing stories of the kinds of issues you would expect – flat tyres and flat batteries, for example – but also some more serious component failures,” he said.

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