Having a vehicle off the road can cost £1,172.20 every day

Van breakdowns cost UK businesses thousands of pounds as research shows the average UK firm suffers a £1,172.20 loss every day a van is out of action. On average UK businesses have faced 6.5 days of disruption in the past 12 months, according to research from Mercedes-Benz Vans . The situation looks set to get worse as tightening budgets mean vehicle fleets are being kept on the road for an average of 4-5 years instead of three years, increasing the risk of breakdown. Rochelle Carrey runs Boujee Boxes, a florist delivery business with two vans. She said: “If our van is off the road, we have to hire a replacement just to keep going and that cost comes straight out of our margins. It can easily add up to around £1,000 a month, depending on how busy we are, so downtime has a real financial impact on the business. ” Simon Neill, Operations Director at Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, said: “ For many UK businesses, a van isn't just a van. It's the business showing up. Our new research lays bare what happens when a van goes off the road. Uptime isn't something you can park in the operations folder and forget about. It shapes productivity, customer relationships, and it lands on people first. Customers start chasing. Employees feel the strain. And business owners lay awake working out what it's costing them." The research also revealed the top five reasons vans were taken off the road were mechanical failure, wear and tear, tyre damage or blowouts, road accidents and pothole damage with parts shortages and workshop delays often making downtime longer.