Two-fifths of fleet managers unable to fulfil obligations due to supply issues, finds Flexed

Delays in vehicle supply have caused 43% of fleet managers to be unable to fulfil contractual obligations, according to research by vehicle subscription specialist Flexed, part of Autohorn Fleet Services.

The survey of more than 400 fleet managers found that 59% felt vehicle supply issues had worsened in the last 12 months, despite expectations of improvement.

68% of respondents said ongoing vehicle supply issues are disrupting daily operations.

One in five (21%) recorded resulting financial losses of upwards of £500 per day and an additional 7% cited losing more than £1,000 per day.

Scott Jenkins, operations and sales director at Flexed, said: “Our research shows that vehicle supply challenges continue to have a major impact on businesses, even though as an industry we expected the situation to have stabilised by now.

“We’re seeing particularly high demand for our Flexed services this year and customers use us for a range of reasons – from plugging vehicle gaps caused by manufacturer production delays or recalls, to managing seasonal delivery peaks.

“In the current market, short-term leasing provides a vital lifeline, offering fast vehicle delivery to help businesses maintain operations.”

Flexed said vehicle supply has been impacted this year by a combination of factors, including global trade disruption and ongoing economic uncertainty, as well as reduced UK production in H1.