IN a Fleet Cost Management survey almost 80% of fleet operators admitted they did not know the price of parts, while 38% said they were unaware of the typical labour rate they paid.

The difficulty arises from the variety of spare parts available - both original equipment, and aftermarket products - which can vary in both price and quality. Jeremy Snowden, managing director of FCM, described the results of the survey as very worrying, and called for the creation of an industry benchmark for parts prices.

He claimed there was no need for the price difference between OE and aftermarket parts, with very little evidence of component failure in either sector, and that there was plenty of scope for manufacturers and dealers to compete on price in the fleet sector. The industry parts pricing benchmark he proposed would allow fleet managers to obtain a handle on what they are paying.