Colin_P

As per the title, is there anyone on here who is a fleet manager that could offer advice and an opinion. Also anything from anyone who runs their own car for company business.

Anyway...

My company has recently woken up to the corporate manslaughter act 2007 and has appointed a company to manage their cars and part of that is what they call the grey fleet, which is the category I fall under.

Quite luckily my company have, to date had no age related conditions as to what car you drive, this is your own car for business use.

I choose to run an old car and service and maintain it myself, as you do and pocket the cash, as you would be a fool not too!

As part of all the cack about now having a 'permit to drive' it seems that you have to your car serviced by a "qualified" technician. They want to see your licence, mot, business use insurance which is fine but service history

I've got a file full receipts for parts I've purchased as part of my service regime if that counts.

My question is, how far is this likely to go, can they insist I get it serviced by a "qualified" technician etc.

My view is that they can get stuffed as there is no law saying you cannot mend your own car and that if they want that, they can pay for it above and beyond the car allowance I receive and / or it would a change in my terms and conditions.

Any Fleet managers come across this or anyone in my situation dealt with it?

dojj

iTrader: (3)

if it's your own car you get an allowance to run it

if it's a company fleet car then the lease company factor in everything into the price

anything else may be a bit dodgy

we used to have an independant contractor fix our cars rather than the main dealer and one lease compnay were fine with it, but another wanted it main dealer only serviced so it all depends on who you are with as well

Colin_P

Cheers Dojj,

To clarify, I'm running my own car and taking a car allowance instead.

I have been doing this with my current company for the last five years and previous companies before that. I get a nice little tax rebate once a year by claiming back the difference between the liage rate I get paid and the Inland Revenue rate x 40%. No problem there.

The company in the last week have introduced this 'scheme' entrusting the fleet management to another 3rd party fleet management company.

My query was to obtain a view or experiences of others who might have been through this as the 'scheme' says you have to get your car serviced by 'qualified technician / garage'.

I was wondering if any fleet managers have had to argue and enforce this (as these schemes are all quite similar as I understand it)

or

If there is an employee who like me, runs and services their own car (like me) who has had this forced on them?

dojj

iTrader: (3)

we run hundreds of cars and vans in our fleet and the previous lease company was flexiable with who we used

the current one though charges us a set rate for the lease period which includes all the servicing costs over the life of the vehicle, so they dictate where it is fixed

find out who the company are using and ask them directly, it's the best way

worst case scenario is that they won't cover the cost

Mark_

Colin, We have the same system at work, We get an allowance, But we own the car and are responsible for the maintenance of the car.
Up to to you if do it yourself.

Iain Mac

I used to work for various fleet lease companies and even a manufacturer in a fleet role and the truth is there are almost as many policies as there are fleets!

Most employers are now realising the extent of their potential liability and tightening the rules on who they will allow to drive on their business, and what they are allowed to drive on their business. Insisting on proof of professional servicing is no unusual. Receipts for parts from Halfords doesn't prove that they have been fitted or that you fitted them correctly.

Your starting point has to be your Ts and Cs of Employment to see if you have a contractual right to your car allowance, and what rights, if any, you or your employer might have to vary those Ts & Cs.

My prediction is that you will have no right to the allowance, and that apart from "custom and tradition", your employer can pull it if they like, or introduce conditions like you having to provide proof of insurance, maintenance, drive a car no older than x years, or whatever. If you don't like those changes you can try to persuade them that you are competent, but allowing you to do your own maintenance then creates a precedent for Mr MaGoo in accounts who owns a slightly blunt screwdriver and a worn adjustable spanner to do the same.

If your powers of persuasion fail, you can take legal advice on the change to your allowance, or you can comply with the new rules, or you can ask them to provide a company car, or a pool car for business use - both of these last two mean an end to the allowance.

For what it is worth, in my company, business use of private cars is entirely banned. I didn't like the car on offer so bought my own - purely for commuting and use a pool vehicle for any business travel. It is a pain in the arse swapping stuff around all the time, I have topay for my own RFL, insurance and servicing but I save the tax I'd be paying on a car I don't want or like.

Colin_P

Mark / Iain / Dojj,

Thank you.