Nexus HGV: Driving Fleet Efficiency for Transport Managers
The role of the Transport Manager has never been more demanding. From navigating ever-tightening compliance regulations to managing vehicle downtime and rising operational costs, the pressure to maintain an efficient and legally compliant fleet is intense.
We sat down with Carl Rudge, HGV Category Manager at Nexus Rental, to talk about how Nexus is meeting these challenges head-on with Nexus Advanced HGV Hire, our dedicated rental management platform for commercial HGV fleets.
Meet Carl Rudge: Over 30 years of industry expertise
“I have over 30 years of experience in HGV contract hire and leasing,” Carl explains. “I’ve seen the sector evolve through regulation, recession, and rapid technological change. I joined Nexus to strengthen our HGV service offering. I was drawn to the company’s fresh approach, its vision for the future, and its strong values.”
Building a best-in-class HGV supplier network
At the heart of Nexus’ Advanced HGV Hire platform is a robust and rigorously managed supplier network.
“Our customers need to have confidence in the service we provide, and that begins with our supply chain,” Carl says. “We ensure every supplier signs up to Nexus SLAs with defined KPIs. We carry out annual audits, check for BSI procedures, environmental policies, and most importantly, we maintain open and honest communication throughout.”
This proactive, relationship-based approach helps Nexus stay ahead of issues and ensures a consistently high-quality rental experience for every customer.
Minimising downtime, maximising performance
Downtime is one of the most pressing concerns for transport managers, and Carl is clear about how Nexus is helping to solve it.
“We know how important it is to minimise Vehicle Off Road (VOR) time. That’s why we regularly monitor supplier performance and work closely with them to address issues quickly. The result? An average VOR of just 2 days, and a 98% first-time MOT pass rate across our HGV supply network, compared to an industry average of 90%.”
These figures demonstrate how Nexus delivers operational efficiency and keeps fleets moving with less disruption and lower risk.
The challenges facing today’s Transport Managers
Carl acknowledges that transport managers today face more challenges than ever before:
“They’re now expected to manage operations, compliance, and technology all at once. From complex regulations to stricter environmental standards, driver shortages and digital enforcement, the demands just keep growing.”
On top of that, many overlook a critical pain point: when a hire vehicle requires repairs, it’s the Transport Manager, not the supplier, who must arrange and integrate those repairs into the vehicle’s service schedule. That adds both pressure and risk to an already complex role.
Nexus Advanced HGV Hire
To directly address these challenges, Nexus developed Nexus Advanced HGV Hire, a rental management platform backed by a dedicated team of HGV experts.
“We designed this service to give transport managers the tools, visibility, and support they need to keep fleets compliant, efficient, and cost-effective,” Carl explains.
From booking and managing HGV rentals to ensuring seamless repair scheduling and performance tracking, Nexus Advanced HGV Hire puts everything in one place with one point of accountability.
Why Nexus?
Nexus brings together intelligent technology, an experienced HGV team, and a national network of trusted suppliers to deliver a flexible, responsive, and fully managed vehicle rental solution for the commercial transport sector.
As Carl puts it:
“We’re not just a rental platform — we’re a partner in keeping your fleet running smoothly, compliantly, and cost-effectively.