Local authorities up and down the country are facing a combination of ageing fleets, out of date workshop facilities and budgetary limitations. On top of these challenges, they are required to transition to lower emission vehicles, and the introduction of mandatory household food waste collections is fast coming down the track.

Against this backdrop, councils require trusted partners to work with to ensure their fleets run smoothly. SFS, the Paragon Banking Group-owned provider of contract hire and fleet management solutions, has acquired a reputation for being just that.

Workshops – an ideal solution to workforce issues

Local authorities are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit technicians to maintain their fleets. The workforce is aging, they struggle to compete with the private sector, and the – admittedly slow – shift to electric vehicles requires a whole new set of skills. This recruitment and retention problem poses a long-term issue when it comes to maintaining a legally compliant fleet.

‘The only real solution for a local authority going forward is to look to outsourcing the running of their workshops,’ Bob tells LAPV.

In the past, SFS relied on working with third parties when it came to maintaining the vehicles they provided to local authority partners. However, they found this was not always the most efficient way of operating and decided to expand into the world of workshop management.

Since making this decision, SFS has gone from strength to strength and now has a network of 15 workshops maintaining council fleets across the country, allowing them to cut out potentially unreliable third parties. ‘We took the decision to set up our own workshops, using our own staff. That’s the only way we could confidently guarantee consistent standards of service delivery.’ Bob explains.

It also means that councils can benefit from SFS’ own fully trained technicians – an ideal solution to workforce issues. Knowledge and expertise are shared across depots and the SFS mobile engineer network, which supports customers nationwide, provides staff training and cover for holidays and sickness.

Furthermore, SFS is investing in apprenticeships. ‘We think one of the best ways to address the recruitment crisis is to take on apprentices and get them trained up and qualified and used to the vehicles from day one. And this includes training for the maintenance of electric vehicles.’

Preparing for household food waste collections

SFS is not just expanding its workshop management offer. It is also investing in its hire fleet.

To help support local authorities as they adapt to the Simpler Recycling reforms, SFS continues to invest significantly in new stock for its rental division CTS Hire, which provides nationwide specialist vehicle hire and maintenance services to support councils and waste contractors for the short to medium term.

Recently CTS Hire boosted its fleet of dedicated food waste collection vehicles in response to new commercial food waste collections regulations and in anticipation of mandatory household food waste collections from March 2026.

‘We are committed to continually refreshing our fleet to ensure our vehicles meet the latest regulatory requirements and to reflect the ongoing changes in legislation regarding how waste is collected,’ says Bob.

‘The introduction of separate food waste collections means that many councils and fleet operators need to invest in specialist vehicles and containers, new tools and diagnostic equipment, and workshop staff to maintain the vehicles.’

Contract hire = Flexbility

One advantage of going down the contract hire route is that it gives local authorities flexibility. It is impossible to be 100% certain of what vehicles will be required for delivering an efficient and sustainable food waste service, particularly given the ever changing legislative and technology terrain that fleet managers are required to navigate. Contract hire gives you the opportunity to try before you buy. As Bob puts it, ‘Hiring these specialist vehicles, especially during the transitionary period gives fleet operators the opportunity to try these different technologies before they buy and monitor the efficiency of collections.’

Regular investment in new vehicle stock

SFS is committed to regular and ongoing investment into CTS Hire, which is reflected in its ever expanding stock of 7.5t-26t refuse & recycling vehicles. As part of this SFS has formed close alliances with a host of vehicle manufacturers including Dennis Eagle.

Keith Day, Managing Director, Dennis Eagle said: ‘We are delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with Specialist Fleet Services and support CTS Hire with its ongoing fleet investment. This collaboration emphasises our shared commitment to ensuring that customers receive the highest quality fleet solution.'

CTS Hire vehicles are all compliant with the latest low emissions and safety regulations, and are fitted with camera systems and tracking, ready to support local authorities in delivering their waste and recycling services.

What’s next?

Both SFS and CTS will no doubt continue to grow and support local authorities up and down the country as they navigate the rapidly changing landscape of waste and recycling.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2025 issue of LAPV. Sign up here to receive your free copy of future issues.