UK firms running van and HGV fleets could be losing more than £7,000 a year through vehicles being off the road due to breakdown.
That’s the finding of new research published by the RAC as it launches a new fixed-price product to help manage breakdown costs
The survey of 500 businesses ranging in size from SME to large corporates, found 41% of firms that run commercial vehicles (3.5t vans up to 44t HGVs) suffer vehicles off the road due to breakdown at least twice a month. In addition 32% say breakdown costs their business up to £300 a day, giving businesses a worst-case bill of £7,200 every year.
Meanwhile 43% of those surveyed said one in four breakdowns they deal with in their fleet could have been prevented if reported earlier.
RAC Truck Rescue manager Matt Dallaway said: “RAC Truck Rescue is a specialist part of the RAC which specifically looks after vans, trucks and HGVs, managing more than 100,000 truck incidents a year and attending around 300,000 vans at roadside.
“Managing cash flow is the top concern for every business which is why at the RAC we’ve looked at doing things differently for commercial fleets when it comes to payment models.
“Traditionally truck fleet managers have paid on use for their breakdown cover, but that is a cost that can escalate if we have a harsh winter or if you happen to have a run of incidents.
“The RAC now offers customers an annual subscription fixed cost for commercial breakdown cover, which means they know exactly what they are paying for each vehicle in their fleet every year, with cover for up to four breakdowns.
“Not only does this benefit cash flow and service, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs, but also provides peace of mind as it’s our job to make sure those vehicles get to where they’re going and keep the wheels of the business moving.”
