The pressure on transportation costs is enormous at the moment. The US-Iran conflict shows no signs of easing and the price of diesel at the fuel pumps creeps constantly upwards.
Breaking the £2 a litre barrier is punishing for the bottom line if your fleet is diesel and while it might seem an easy answer to say move to electric, in practice that may not be possible for a variety of operational reasons.
So what tactics are available to you to alleviate some of that price pressure?
The first thing is ensure your fleet is running as efficiently as possible. Review everything:
All of these will make small percentage differences that will help trim fuel expenditure.
Moving on from the operational efficiencies, it’s worth considering whether you are using the right vans. You can use our Fleet 360 tool to assist you with this, but your operational requirements may have shifted over time and smaller or perhaps larger vehicles might now be required.
While it’s true that diesel vans will be on sale until 2035, is it wise to be delaying van electrification? As the operational ability of electric vans improves – check out our 10 electric vans with the best range feature – which of your vehicles would be more suitable as eLCVs, allowing you to benefit from cheaper overall running costs? Again our Fleet 360 tool can help you with these decisions.
It’s also worth noting that the Government’s plug-in grants for low or zero emission vans have been extended until at least the end of the 2026/2027 financial year, but after that, who knows?
Small vans qualify for up to £2,500 discount and large vans up to £5,000. This can help lower leasing costs, plus leasing is an ideal way to ease any worries about future residual values and future proofs the technology.
There are no easy answers to the escalating cost of fuel and its impact on your company’s bottom line. It is unquestionably difficult. But some of these practical efficiency steps can help ease some of the financial pain.
The pressure on transportation costs is enormous at the moment. The US-Iran conflict shows no signs of easing and the price of diesel at the fuel pumps creeps constantly upwards. Breaking the £2 a litre barrier is punishing for the bottom line if your fleet is diesel and while it might seem an easy answer … Continued
Euro 7 is coming, and the new legislation will influence how fleets acquire, maintain and manage their vehicles in the years ahead. We’ve taken a look at what Euro 7 involves, what’s changing and what fleet operators should be thinking about now. What is Euro 7? Euro 7 is the latest European vehicle emissions standard … Continued
The number of company car drivers is on the rise. And the rise is driven by one thing: electricity. Perhaps I should qualify that slightly: the rise is due to the very low company car tax payable on electric company cars. But there’s little doubt about it: once more the company car has become a … Continued
It’s quite a sobering thought: drivers could be saving as much as £1,200 each year – more in some rural areas – if they choose the right vehicle and support structure for their homes. That’s the conclusion of an independent report from Government advisers, the Climate Change Committee, published on 24 June 2026. The report, … Continued
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It’s almost time for the new tax year, and there are two key things company car drivers need to know. Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) – Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) Firstly, some good news. From 1 April 2026, the threshold for the Vehicle Excise Duty Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) for zero-emission cars will increase. This is … Continued
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The Munich Motor Show – which is officially known as IAA Mobility – recently took place. It’s a hybrid show demonstrating everything about mobility for the future, from the latest cars, new ways to reuse items as part of the circular economy, to important discussion forums. But without doubt, the spotlight for me was the … Continued
We’ve had some great recognition recently. There was the Best Workplace for Women in July; this was followed by being named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in the Financial Services and Insurance industry in August. And to make it a hat-trick, we’ve just been voted Best Fleet Management Company by industry publication BusinessCar. That’s … Continued
The Electric Car Grant, introduced by the Government on Tuesday 15 July, is definitely to be welcomed. I’ll caveat that slightly because it’s early days, and we really don’t have all the details of the grant. But it’s certainly a good indicator of the Government’s direction of travel and its continuing engagement with the automotive … Continued