A business fleet represents one of the largest operational investments for any company. However, when it comes to purchasing or renewing insurance, most managers simply accept the insurer's proposal without question.
The result: inflated premiums, redundant coverages, and dangerous gaps that are only discovered at the time of a claim. In 12 years of managing business fleets, we have identified 5 mistakes that recur with alarming frequency.
Mistake 1: Not segmenting the fleet by risk profile
Treating all vehicles the same way is a guaranteed waste. A commercial vehicle covering 60,000 km/year has a completely different risk profile from a management vehicle covering 15,000 km. Segmenting the fleet allows for negotiating specific excesses and coverages for each group.
Mistake 2: Maintaining unnecessary coverages on older vehicles
Vehicles older than 5 years rarely justify own damage coverage with replacement value. The savings from adjusting these coverages can represent 15-20% of the total premium.
Mistake 3: Ignoring claims history as a negotiation tool
- Maintain a detailed record of all claims and their respective costs
- Present prevention plans and driver training
- Negotiate based on concrete data, not generic tables
- Compare at least 3 proposals from different insurers
Mistake 4: Not including replacement vehicle coverage
The immobilisation of a commercial vehicle costs, on average, €200-€500 per day in lost productivity. Insurance with a replacement vehicle included costs a fraction of that amount.
Mistake 5: Automatic renewal without review
The insurance market changes every year. New insurers, new products, new conditions. Renewing without consulting the market means accepting to pay more for the same — or even for less.
At Adler & Rochefort, we conduct a complete review of your fleet and the market before each renewal. Contact us for a free analysis.