If your business runs a van then you will be well aware of the costs incurred. Expenses that just keep on coming at you, day after day. There’s no escaping them and there’s nowhere to hide. What’s more, the busier you are and the more successful you are, the more you use your van and the more the expenses mount up.
You’ve got tax, you’ve got insurance and you’ve got all manner of day to day running costs – tyres, garage bills, oil, fuel, fuel, fuel. If you’re not careful your van can turn into a money pit, eating up a giant chunk of your profits.
There are ways to cut your expenditure; for example cheap van insurance. With a little research and by not necessarily going to the first, biggest van insurance provider you come across, you will be able to pick up impressively cheap van insurance. Also, by adopting a little by little approach to your vehicles maintenance you will increase your chances of heading off any major repairs. A stitch in time saves garage bills.
Perhaps the biggest, most recurrent and most annoying cost is your fuel. After all, every time you fill up there’s that ongoing itch that seems impossible to scratch over the government’s fuel duties, there’s that recollection somewhere in the back of your mind that you’ve seen fuel advertised cheaper someone else but just can’t quite remember where and there are always those questions you ask yourself over the fuel economy of your vehicle. Am I getting the mpg I used to? Surely I should be getting a better mpg than his? Why does it feel like I’m forever filling this van up and never going anywhere? We’ve all been there. We’ve all found ourselves asking similar questions. Well now, in an effort to not only save money but with a keen eye on the environment too, maybe it’s time to look closely at ways in which we can squeeze more value out of our fuel. Good for the bottom line and good for the environment. A win, win.
Here are three easy ways that you can help avoid spending unnecessary amounts of time stood in a garage watching the numbers on a fuel pump go up and up and up.
o Though it sounds a bit too obvious perhaps, the first way in which you can save fuel is by driving a fuel-efficient van. Are you even using the right vehicle for the job? This applies to both the inherent fuel economy of the vehicle (some are clearly more efficient than otherhad me going, perhaps your van is simply too old and inefficient or badly designed) and whether you are perhaps using a sledgehammer to crack a nut (or to use a more appropriate analogy, delivering a post it note in a truck.) Do you even need to use a van at all? Maybe the job could be done on foot or on bike?
o Drive green – put less pedal to the metal, and make more sensible, responsible use of the gears and accelerator. Green driving is also preventative. Keep your tyres at the right pressure and remove roof racks if unused. Switch of the engine if you are stationary for any length of time.
o Plan ahead. If you know where you’re going, are forewarned about diversions or road works then you’ll spend less time lost and less money at the pumps. Also, check on line for the cheapest petrol prices in the area and make a point of buying your fuel there.
Julia Niven – Commercial Vehicle Direct Insurance search a panel of the UK’s leading van insurers to find you a great deal on your van insurance. Whether you need van insurance for private or business use, let CVD find a policy to suit your needs and budget. We offer fully comprehensive cover, third party, fire & theft and third party only cover.
