Vehicle Programs among Beverage Distributors: 6 Stats You Need to Know [+Infographic!] | Everlance

For beverage distributors, managing and maintaining a mobile workforce is paramount.

But with challenges like rising gas prices, difficulties in getting new cars for company fleets, and changing IRS reimbursement rates, managing a vehicle program as a beverage distributor can feel more difficult than ever. 

Whether you’re a beverage distributor looking to see how you compare to others in the industry or are an industry leader looking to see the state of vehicle programs among beverage distributors now, here are six statistics you need to know. 

1. 62% of beverage distributors surveyed are still maintaining company fleets 

Despite the challenges and costliness of company fleets, more than half of beverage distributors are still managing company cars as their vehicle program. 

If you’re considering disposing of your company fleet, you’re not alone, though—38% of beverage distributors surveyed have already made the switch to another vehicle program, whether that’s a flat car allowance or a flexible reimbursement program like FAVR. 

Considering making the switch? Here’s everything to consider before disposing of your company fleet. 

2. 70% of beverage distributors haven’t updated their vehicle programs in 5+ years 

For all the challenges and logistical operations needed to run a beverage distribution business, updating your vehicle program may be far from the top of your mind. 

However, given all the changes in the past five years—even in the past six months—it’s time to consider whether or not you may need to update your vehicle program. 

This is especially true if you—like many beverage distributors—are still maintaining company fleets. 

• Is your current vehicle program working for you? 
• Is your vehicle program tax-free? 
• How much time and energy does it take—from drivers and administrative staff—to manage your vehicle program? 
• How much is your vehicle program costing your company? 

As you consider questions like these, keep in mind that many modern vehicle program solutions, like a FAVR program, can help eliminate stress, save time and save your company money on your vehicle program. All this while still reimbursing employees fairly and providing a benefit they appreciate! 

3. Only 12.5% of beverage distributors surveyed are “completely satisfied” with their vehicle programs. 

What keeps beverage distributors from being satisfied with vehicle programs? A number of factors can contribute to dissatisfaction, including: 

• The high cost of operating their vehicle program 
• High administrative needs 
• Stress on staff to manage reimbursements and payments
• Complaints from drivers about managing mileage logs 
• Inaccurate mileage tracking or payments 
• Rising prices of maintaining a fleet—purchasing new cars, gas prices, etc. 

Unfortunately, if you’re currently experiencing any of these problems with your vehicle program, you may feel that this kind of dissatisfaction is normal. And according to the statistics, it is. 

However, it doesn’t have to be.

There are a variety of flexible vehicle programs that can meet your needs, goals and challenges as a company, and save time and money for your team and organization. 

Learn more about the different types of vehicle programs available and how making a change to your current program can help alleviate stress, save time and increase adoption among your team. 

4. 25% of beverage distributors surveyed struggle with business risk and IRS-compliance within vehicle programs 

Of course, managing a vehicle program comes with many components and challenges, but there are 3 major challenges that stood out among surveyed beverage distributors: 

1. High cost of maintaining their program
2. Business risk involved with vehicle program
3. IRS-compliance 

25% of beverage distributors surveyed said they struggled with one or more of these specific challenges. 

So, what can distributors do to combat these challenges? 

If your program cost is exceeding your budget—or if you’re just interested in seeing how other program pricing might compare to your current costs, take a look at the different vehicle programs available and reach out for a customized quote based on your team needs and goals. 

Concerned about business risk and IRS-compliance? You’re not alone. 

5. 93% of beverage distributors surveyed are missing opportunities to de-risk their vehicle programs

Although around 60% of beverage distributors surveyed are working to minimize risk and keep their programs IRS-compliant through keeping accurate mileage logs—an important step!—there’s also a lot more you can do to minimize risk. 

For example: 

• Checking employee MVRs 
• Verifying driver’s licenses and auto insurance for driving employees
• Providing driver safety training
• Running background checks on employees 
• And more! 

This process can feel overwhelming, especially with everything else you have to do and manage when it comes to vehicle programs. 

With Everlance, our customer support managers will help you make sure that your program not only meets your team’s needs, but also stays IRS-compliant with accurate mileage tracking and reporting. 

You can also get help de-risking your vehicle program with our Driver’s Checkup tools to provide proactive protection against driving liabilities. 

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6. 54% of beverage distributors surveyed find keeping their car benefits tax-free challenging 

Is your car benefit for employees tax-free? 

If not—or if you’re not sure—you’re not alone. Knowing the tax rules around vehicle programs can be difficult. In our survey, around a quarter of beverage distributors said they weren’t sure if their vehicle program was tax-free or not. 

Even if you do know, staying within the tax-free zone can be tricky. 

Here’s how to know if your car benefit is tax-free: 

• If you have a company car program, those benefits are tax-free because the mileage and expenses on the cars themselves serve as a “log” to track the business usage and expenses. 
• If you’re reimbursing employees for driving personal vehicles, the biggest thing to keep in mind to keep those reimbursements tax-free is making sure that your employees are keeping detailed and accurate records of mileage—the mileage of each individual trip, what the trip purpose was and when the trip occurred. 

For more details on tax laws around reimbursements, check out our guide to mileage reimbursements for companies. 

If you, like many other beverage distributors, find yourself struggling with your vehicle program, not completely satisfied, or just ready to consider making a change given all the changes to the industry lately, Everlance is here to help you find the perfect solution. 

What is Everlance Business? 

Everlance Business is an end-to-end vehicle reimbursement provider. With Everlance, there are three main services to support beverage distributors: 

1. Automatic tracking software and technology. With GPS tracking technology, we provide easy and automatic mileage tracking software for your drivers, so you can save time and keep your reimbursement programs tax-free.
   
   
2. Risk management. Everlance helps manage your reimbursement program and minimize your risk. Our Driver Checkup tools provide you with compliance checklists and help you manage that all in one place, in the Everlance platform.
   
   
3. Exceptional service. At Everlance, we really get to know each of our clients deeply to be able to understand your business and recommend what’s best for you. There’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all vehicle program for every beverage distributor, and our team is here to support you and serve as a consultant and data-provider to help you design a program that will be the highest return to you. 

Curious how Everlance can help take your company to the next level? 

Everlance helps beverage distributors track mileage accurately, ensure IRS compliance, save time and reduce vehicle program costs, even with changing industry landscapes. 

Learn more about Everlance for business or schedule a call with our sales team today: