Your vehicles are the most expensive tools for your business you are likely to invest in. When running a construction business, you need a vehicle that has to serve many purposes – delivery truck, operative transport, advertising billboard, office...
When we’re considering a new business vehicle most of us go about it completely the wrong way around. It’s likely that we’ll have a particular brand or model in mind and then look to see where we can get the best deal. But in fact what we should be doing is considering the main purpose of the vehicle with the emphasis on safety and that it will actually do the job that we want it for.
We may not have the luxury of a mixed fleet of vehicles, some of which could be standing in the yard for days on end not earning their keep. Do we really need a truck capable of carrying exceptionally heavy loads when most of our materials are delivered to site by suppliers?
It may be worth considering a multi-purpose vehicle which is capable of performing more than one function, which will be kept busy all day and will be just as happy driving along a motorway as it will negotiating an uneven building site.
A pickup truck could be the answer, whether bought or leased and the trick is to arrange the loan of demonstrator vehicles to make sure vehicles are fit for purpose, are comfortable to drive, easy to load and are as fuel-efficient and tax-efficient as possible.
INSURANCE
When you have bought your business vehicle it is a legal requirement that you arrange commercial vehicle insurance. For over 60 years, FMB partner, Aon, has been working with builders and has built up insurance policies to suit sole traders and small businesses in all the contracting trades and AON now covers 15,000 UK tradespeople in the UK.
Whether you are simply looking to protect your liability in the event of an accident, or are searching for more comprehensive cover for your tools, commercial vehicle and office contents, Aon has a policy that fits, giving you the peace of mind that you are protected. For more information visit: www.rewritinginsurance.aon.co.uk/builders.aspx Or call: 0845 508 1551
WHERE’S THE TRUCK?
To protect your not inconsiderable investment it could be worth thinking about fitting a tracking device. Tucked away in the engine compartment where it can’t be easily spotted, a tracker uses GPS (Global Positioning System) to plot a vehicle’s position and is generally accurate within 10 metres. It can record the vehicle’s mileage and speed and this information is fed back to your PC via the Internet.
Although monitoring your vehicles can be addictive initially, the systems allow you to keep a completely accurate record of every vehicle movement. The possibilities for saving money and increasing productivity are immediately obvious - because the system allows you to monitor routes and unnecessary journeys, and how vehicles are driven (the RAC claims that driving at 85mph uses 25 percent more fuel than at 70mph, whilst avoiding sharp breaking can save as much as 30 percent on fuel costs) it becomes easier to increase the amounts of jobs per day and to establish the best routes. A vehicle which stops at the burger van for half an hour every morning isn’t making money for you.
WHERE ARE THE TOOLS?
According to vehicle security experts, Van-Locked. co.uk the latest estimate is that 26 vans are broken into every hour in the UK. That’s 624 per day, 18,980 per month and a staggering 227,760 each year.
And with these figures rising; it can only be a matter of time before your vehicle is broken into. You carry high value tools, equipment or stock and its loss can have a severe and in some cases devastating impact on your business.
As well as the initial loss, you’ll incur additional expenses and losses including: vehicle repairs, increased premiums, loss of vehicle, loss of downtime, sorting and sourcing replacement equipment and possibly the worst of all - reputational damage.
Hide what tools you can and use additional and replacement locking systems for your vehicles. For the very best industry knowledge, expertise and advice on how to protect your vehicles, try www.van-locked.co.uk or call (01295 250303).
