The size of Britain’s ‘grey fleet’ and the cost of mileage claims is “invisible” to UK company bosses and “a blind spot in the government’s transport strategy”, according to a new report.
 
Now the British Vehicle Leasing and Rental Association (BVRLA) is calling on the government to tackle the challenges of the UK’s ‘grey fleet’, following publication of the report which it says shows the true cost of employees using their own cars for work purposes.
 
The UK’s ‘grey fleet’ - employees who drive their own cars on business trips - comprises 14 million cars, 40% of all vehicles on the road, and costs employers more than £5.5 billion a year in mileage claims and car allowances, it is calculated in the report. Collectively some 12 billion business miles are driven each year on Britain’s roads by employee-owned cars. 

 
The ‘Getting To Grips With Grey Fleet’ report, produced by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and commissioned by the BVRLA, found that the average ‘grey fleet’ car was ‘exhausted’ – being older, more polluting and potentially more dangerous than its counterparts.
 
BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney said: “The invisible ‘grey fleet’ is hiding in plain sight of Britain’s bosses and is a blind spot in the government’s transport strategy. This blind spot is wasting taxpayer money, costing businesses millions of pounds, damaging our environment and making our roads more dangerous.”
 
Andrew Benfield, EST’s group director of transport, said: “Bosses should introduce rigorous electronic mileage management systems to reduce ‘mileage inflation’ by employees claiming a mileage allowance, and remove the incentive to drive unnecessary business miles. Car rental should be adopted for any work-related vehicle journey over 55 miles and a vehicle should be leased for employees driving at least 10,000 business miles per year.”
Key2 vehicle management software includes comprehensive grey fleet management parameters enabling you to ensure all data relating to both grey fleet drivers and their vehicles is valid and up to date.  It enables you to enforce grey policies, store documentation, monitor mileages and make strategic decisions when it comes to alternative methods of transport.  Contact Roy Baynham on 0844 8484 333 for further details or email roy.baynham@jaama.co.uk