What the year ahead means for your fleet

Whether that’s down to regulation, running costs or the vehicles themselves, it all keeps moving. It is the operators who plan ahead that tend to come off far better (and more cost efficient) than those who react late. Here is how to think about the year ahead.

Keep an eye out for any regulation changes

Rules around emissions, low emission zones and vehicle standards keep tightening across UK towns and cities. If your vans run into or through zones with charges or restrictions, it is crucial to know exactly where each vehicle stands and what it costs you to keep running it there. Plan your replacements around that, rather than being forced into them and you stay in control of the costs.

Plan replacements before you HAVE to

The worst time to replace a van is the morning when it doesn’t start, with a full day of work booked in. A planned cycle, where you move vehicles on while they still hold value and bring replacements in on your own terms, is almost always cheaper than an emergency buy. Leave it until a van reaches its end of life and you are usually buying in a panic, at whatever price you can get, from whatever happens to be available. Look at the age, mileage and condition of each van now and map out which ones are due.

Keep the value in the business

When you do replace, how you sell matters. Selling direct to another trade buyer keeps more of the value with you than passing vehicles down a chain of middlemen, each one taking a margin. The same goes for buying: buying direct means you see the condition upfront and pay a fair price, rather than an inflated one with everyone else's cut built in or hidden surprises.

Match the fleet to the work

Jobs change, contracts come and go and the vans you bought for the last phase of work are not always right for the next. A yearly look at whether each vehicle still fits its role will often turn up a van that is too big, too small or barely used and freeing that up can pay for something you genuinely need.

The theme for the year should be the same as it always is: plan early, move on your own terms and keep as much of the value in the business as you can.

Vangoo's platform is built for trade fleets doing exactly that, buying and selling commercial vehicles directly, with the condition shown upfront.