The Energy Saving Trust has described vans as the “workhorse of our economy” – with around three million registered in the UK, and LCV traffic growth of more than 80 per cent predicted by 2035, who are we to argue?

This lofty distinction, however, goes hand-in-hand with substantial running costs – from servicing and maintenance to fuel and insurance.

Drivers hold the key to managing these costs, with their behaviour behind the wheel being one of the single biggest influencers. Driving at 70mph, for example, is said to use 15 per cent more fuel than at 50mph, while cruising at 80mph can use up to 25 per cent more fuel than at 70mph.

Furthermore, harsh acceleration, braking and steering can also have a significant impact on fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.

How are your drivers performing? Have they been empowered to improve standards? The opportunities to make significant efficiency and safety gains, using business tool kits to monitor and improve driving styles, have been highlighted by TomTom’s latest research. This intriguing European study has put performance among van drivers under the spotlight.

Key UK findings include the discovery that:

• Working time pressures make more than half of van drivers (59 per cent) more likely to speed and take risks on the road; and
• Three-quarters of van drivers (75 per cent) admit to breaking the speed limit in their work vehicles, with 24 per cent doing so regularly.

Despite these revelations, an overwhelming 70 per cent claim to be better drivers than road users that do not drive for work purposes.

By measuring performance and putting schemes in place to help drivers improve, businesses can take control of many of the variables which adversely impact the efficient operation of a vehicle fleet.

By clicking on the image below, you can also download and share our infographic: