Tools for an efficient car fleet

Leasing Options

These days more and more companies look to Also gaining popularity is novated leaseleasing, an alternative method of providing an employee vehicle. Aimed at employees who wouldn’t normally purchase a vehicle, it offers them tax benefits. “It is a really great staff retention tool,” says Malcolm. “Financially it can benefit them in so many different ways, and there’s no additional cost to the employer.”

The lease is an agreement between the fleet manager, employee, and financier, where the employee leases the vehicle from the financier. The payments are paid by the fleet manager, who retains the amount from the employee’s pre-tax salary to collect cover the cost. The employee then has unlimited private use of the vehicle.

“The big end of town has been offering this for years,” says Malcolm. “SMEs have realised they need to offer the same thing down there.”

Insurance Deals

Keep in mind, none of these tools will mean much if your fleet isn’t insured, and choosing the right insurance can be a dilemma in itself. “Not all drivers are the same and no single insurance policy will be the same for everyone,” says Lauren Newlands, Cannex financial analyst. “Hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars differentiate the lowest and highest premiums in all states, so the potential to save is enormous.”

Budget Direct, Cashback, and Allianz were awarded National Five Stars by Cannex, following their Car Insurance Star Ratings report. While these three companies stood out for their overall value, they were closely followed by Ozicare, NRMA Insurance, and AAMI.

Another option, especially if you want to cut out legwork, is to have a fleet management company find the best insurance policy for you. Fleetcare provides a one-stop-shop for insurance, and has the benefits of monthly billings and an accident management service.

Whatever your final decision, make sure you choose a policy with vehicle replacement, because you’ll want your employee back on the road, doing their job, as soon as possible.

No matter what the tool, make sure you shop around first to get the best deal for your fleet because one size does not fit all.

Top Insurers

Cannex has released its Car Insurance Star Ratings report, reviewing state and nationwide insurance policies.

• The National Five Star Awards for superior value were awarded to:

• Budget Direct

• Cashback

• Allianz

• State winning insurers were:

• New South Wales: NRMA Insurance

• Queensland: Cashback

• South Australia: ING

• Tasmania: Cashback

• Victoria: Allianz

• Western Australia: Allianz

• To download the full report, visit www.cannex.com.au

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