Van fleet operators in the UK are losing nearly £150 million per year due to van breakdowns often caused by a failure to carry out routine checks.

According to the latest survey by More Th>n Business, more than 1.3 million vans need breakdown assistance each year, with each breakdown costing on average £114 in lost earnings and thousands of pounds more in repair costs.

But the survey highlighted that nearly half of the most common breakdowns of commercial vehicles could have been avoided if routine checks had been carried out on the vehicles.

The survey showed that the most common breakdowns are caused by faulty batteries, followed closely by punctured tyres and overheating engines, many of which could have been avoided by simple checking of the fluid levels or air pressures.

Businesses are being urged to invest a small amount of time in routine checks to avoid big breakdown costs.