The call comes from Venson, which says that traditionally, the clock starts ticking, when the vehicle goes up on the ramp, for repair, but fleets should be counting the cost the moment a vehicle is off the road to get a better understanding of their costs.

‘Most transport managers claim a 99% “on road” usage, when the reality is more like 75-80%,’ said Simon Staton, director, client management for Venson Automotive. ‘Businesses only count the hours and minutes a vehicle is on the ramp, in the repair shop. They actually need to consider every minute that vehicle is off the road because it has a vast impact on the cost implications. Venson offers businesses a free review to help them better understand their vehicle downtime and identify areas for potential cost savings.’

Staton concluded: ‘Businesses could potentially benefit from reducing the size of their fleet, in turn reducing fleet expenditure. If downtime is evaluated in a more realistic manner and vehicles are managed more effectively crucial savings fleet managers are under pressure to make, could be achieved. A fleet review allows businesses to reassess their fleet and regain control of their budgets in this area.’