These are the fleet industry’s three globe-spanning alliances

Try as they might, most fleet suppliers just aren’t huge enough to be everywhere at once – yet their fleet customers can be anywhere. So how do those suppliers square that circle? One popular solution to provide optimal service to your international clientele: strike up an alliance, with partner-suppliers who have a strong presence in one or more complementary regions. 

Fleet supplier alliances don’t come with the heavy cost associated with acquisitions, and they don’t lead to the loss of autonomy implied by mergers. And the record shows that they’re pretty good at delivering on their main requirement: giving global customers the high-quality services they expect, wherever they need them. 

The international fleet industry counts three major alliances with a global reach: Element-Arval, ALD-Wheels, and Global Fleet Services. 

• Global Fleet Services (GFS) is an alliance between ARI, Eqstra and Orix. It offers fleet operators coverage of major international markets, providing them increased transparency and greater control over their operating expenses, ultimately enabling them to reduce their TCO.  Read more on GFS here.
• The ALD-Wheels Alliance is more than a pact between ALD and Wheels alone. It comprises four more strategic partnerships. With a presence in 43 countries, ALD is the senior partner in the alliance. But those partnerships add a presence in 12 crucial markets, making for a total of 55 markets, in key geographies around the world. Read more on ALD-Wheels here. 
• The Element-Arval Alliance is anchored on Arval, with its centre of gravity in Europe; and Element, whose main theatre of operations is North America. A number of partnerships extend the alliance's reach to South America, Southern Africa and Asia/Pacific. In all, it has a footprint of over 3 million vehicles in more than 50 countries. Read more on the Element-Arval Alliance here.