Nissan NV400

In spite of record diesel prices, a quarter of van managers are failing to control fuel costs

DESPITE the escalating cost of diesel fuel – now an average of 144.8p per litre according to the AA Fuel Price Report – 25% of business van managers are failing to do anything to control fuel costs.

Driver training, speed limiters and telematics can all help to drive down your fuel costs

The astonishing admission comes from a survey of 252 van managers in the first Nissan Van Report.

The Nissan Van Report has been designed to provide an insight into the pressures of running a van fleet in today’s ultra cost-competitive world, says Nissan.

“Given the current cost of fuel, we were surprised to see that a quarter of van managers were failing to tackle this crucial issue,” said Matt Dale, Nissan’s national LCV sales manager, commenting on the findings in the Nissan Van Report.

The flip side, of course, is that the majority of van fleets are being run with a view to containing fuel costs.

The Nissan Van Report said that van managers were taking proactive measures to contain and reduce fuel use.

This included driver training (51%), speed limiters (37%) and telematics (35%).

However, lack of operating restrictions – such as O licence and tachograph requirements – was the big appeal of running vans below 3.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).

Only 27% wanted more focus on duty of care by companies, stating that telematics devices (48%) and an official driving test to licence van drivers were key objectives.

Other business van management issues uncovered by the Nissan Van Report included:

  • Key features to add to a van’s specification: satellite navigation systems (40%); vehicle tracking (13%); and Bluetooth (11%) connectivity.
  • Van miles travelled: Up to a 100 miles a day (38%); 101-200 miles a day (34%); over 200 miles a day (22%); don’t know daily van mileage (6%)
  • Employer loyalty: more than half of business van managers (56%) have been in their current job for more than 11 years.
  • Van choice criteria: key reason for choosing was whole life costs (25%) followed by purchase cost (18%)

 

Also read this on the Nissan Van Report. Click the link Van drivers are middle of the road.

Got a spare 30 seconds?

 Help us to provide you with better market insight by completing a very short survey. It is anonymous and only takes 30 seconds. You will get free access to the quarterly results.

Thinking of the switch to electric?

Need help in finding the right electric vehicle for you? Compare driving range, battery capacity, charging time, price, and features to find the perfect EV for you.

logo