Vehicle-off-road (VOR) time is becoming one of the biggest costs facing UK fleets. According to new research, downtime now costs businesses an average of £1,172 per van, per day. For operators managing rising costs and tight delivery schedules, every hour a vehicle is unavailable impacts productivity and profitability. The latest research shows that:

• 93% of fleets experienced unplanned downtime in the past year
• Nearly half said downtime had increased compared to the previous 12 months
• The biggest causes included mechanical failures, tyre issues, and battery-related faults

The operational impact extends beyond maintenance costs alone. 24% of businesses said vehicle downtime had led to customer complaints or missed service targets, while 18% feared it could put existing contracts at risk, highlighting how VOR incidents can quickly affect both reputation and revenue.

While many businesses still treat downtime reactively, connected fleet telematics technology is helping operators move towards a more preventative approach.

How telematics reduces VOR time

Modern telematics systems give fleet managers real-time visibility into vehicle condition, driver behaviour, and operational performance, helping identify issues before they lead to costly breakdowns or workshop time.

With Radius telematics solutions, fleets can:

Reduce wear and tear

Driver behaviour directly impacts vehicle reliability and maintenance costs. Insights into harsh braking, speeding, rapid acceleration, and idling help businesses improve driving standards, reduce strain on vehicles, and extend asset lifespan.

Increase utilisation and operational efficiency

Every vehicle off the road reduces fleet capacity. Live tracking and utilisation reporting help operators improve dispatch efficiency, identify underused assets, evaluate routing and reduce unnecessary mileage, maximising vehicle productivity across the fleet.

Proactively monitor vehicle health

Monitoring vehicle performance and excessive idling can provide early maintenance warning signs, enabling fleets to schedule repairs before vehicles fail unexpectedly. This reduces disruption and helps keep vehicles operational for longer.

Improve preventative maintenance

Rather than relying solely on fixed service intervals, telematics enables maintenance scheduling based on actual vehicle usage and condition. This helps fleets:

• Reduce unnecessary workshop visits
• Prioritise high-risk vehicles
• Minimise unexpected breakdowns
• Reduce operational disruption

From reactive maintenance to predictive fleet management

By improving visibility across vehicle health and performance, businesses can reduce preventable downtime, improve utilisation, and keep vehicles on the road where they generate value.

Discover how Radius telematics solutions can help reduce vehicle downtime and improve fleet efficiency.