Are you losing money due to unauthorized personal use of your fleet vehicle? According to Automotive Fleet’s annual survey of personal use charges and policies, personal use of company-owned vehicles costs $116 per month. The survey reports “… when looking at charge ranges, most fleets (33 percent) charge between $100 and $149 per month for personal use of a company-provided vehicle.”
Establishing a corporate policy about personal use may save money. Of the companies that have established personal use policies, policy guidelines vary. Some companies limit personal use to within 150 miles of home, commuting to/from home and work sites, or employee use only. Other policy considerations may include accident liability, mandated motor-vehicle driving record checks, and providing proof of insurance. Enforcing policy can be aided utilizing a GPS tracking device.
Whether authorized or not, according to Carol Davies, fleet manager for Advanced Auto Parts, “Our personal use is increasing, which ultimately increases our costs.”
To combat this rising cost, some companies deduct the charges from employees’ paychecks. How the expense to charge is calculated, like the policies, varies. The most common method is using industry-specific averages.
Another, more precise method, is to install a GPS tracking device in each vehicle. A fleet manager can monitor work vs. personal use in real-time. The reports generated can make reconciling more accurate and timely.
If your company does not yet have a personal use of company-owned vehicles policy in place, your business may be losing money.
Source: www.automotive-fleet.com/Channel/Fuel-Management/Article/Story/2012/07/Personal-Use-Charges-Hit-116-in-2012.aspx. Photo: Scott St. John