REPLACEMENT VEHICLES & ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
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Most R&M contracts include – as an extra cost option – provision of a replacement vehicle if yours is off the road for more than a specified time. For Hypothetical Haulier, this option added about £5 a month to the R&M price. That equates to £300 over the five-year period. If you had to hire a replacement unit, that sum would buy just three or four days’ use, so if you have little spare capacity in your fleet, this replacement vehicle option looks attractive. Before ticking the ‘yes’ box, check the availability of suitable vehicles, the length of the qualifying period and whether there is a limit to the loan period.
Roadside assistance is another contract option that is probably worthwhile. Without it, call-out fees, pence-per-kilometre charges and hourly rates quickly add up and you are not in a position to negotiate.