21 March 2013 – More than a quarter of European business drivers surveyed in a new study have revealed they spend at least four hours a month recording and submitting mileage records.

According to research conducted by TomTom Business Solutions across Germany, France, Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, 28 per cent of drivers lose more than four hours a month, with nine per cent spending in excess of eight hours on the process.

Paper proved the most popular format for keeping accurate mileage records, used by 49 per cent of respondents. A further 21 per cent of drivers record and submit records via their computer and 26 per cent use a mobile device.

In addition, more than half of drivers (55 per cent) have to reproduce mileage records into another format or computer system when they get back to their office.

"Lost productivity can have a major impact on a company's ability to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging economic environment and mileage registration is proving a drain on resources," said Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director, TomTom Business Solutions. "Antiquated systems for recording mileage mean many businesses are suffering a significant blow to productivity – which could run to more than 800 hours a month for companies employing 100 drivers. This represents a major concern for management but one that smart systems can help them overcome."

The study, conducted among company drivers not using an automated mileage recording system, also found that more than a third (36 per cent) submit inaccurate mileage when claiming expenses, with 29 per cent doing it regularly.

"It is worrying that such a large proportion of European business drivers are submitting inaccurate mileage claims as this can dent business profitability and have repercussions for tax compliance," added Thomas.

"Advanced fleet management technology helps to simplify the mileage registration process, allowing businesses to guarantee the accuracy of records and maximize efficiency."

About the research

The research was conducted by TomTom among business drivers from operational and non-operational fleets in five countries across Europe.

Operational fleets were defined as vehicles used for the delivery of goods or services (predominantly LCVs) and non-operational fleets as vehicles used by management or sales representatives (predominantly company cars).

The research was conducted among 462 operational fleet employees and 481 non-operational fleet employees in total; 100 operational and 111 non-operational in the United Kingdom, 100 operational and 100 non-operational in Germany, 70 operational and 57 non-operational in the Netherlands; 92 operational and 113 non-operational in France, and 100 operational and 100 non-operational in Ireland.

In order to qualify for the research, respondents had to be a company employee driving a vehicle for business purposes at least three days a week, without access to a system which automates the process of recording and submitting mileage records. The research was conducted at selected petrol and service stations in each country among a cross section of industries.