Allstar has announced the launch of a new mileage capture system, Business Mileage Monitor (BMM), which uses satellite tracking to report journey distances to within a few metres, satisfying HMRC’s requirement for precise monitoring.
The product launch comes as the fuel card company faces mounting criticism over problems with transferring customer accounts to a new operating platform and changes to their terms and conditions (see this week’s Fleet News for more).
However, the unveiling of BMM offers different methods of recording and submitting mileage, including a GPS Dongle, which plugs straight into any vehicle and ensures 100% accurate business versus private mileage reporting.
The new satellite tracking system will report journey distances to within a few metres satisfying HMRC’s requirement for precise monitoring.
Allstar’s solution even overcomes potential ‘Big Brother’ objections from drivers by enabling the driver to delete the details of private journeys before submitting to his employer.
HMRC has been clamping down on business mileage claims as a result of an increasing number of fraudulent claims and has announced it will investigate the records of 60,000 small and medium sized businesses between 2012 and 2015, in what are officially known as Business Record Checks (BRCs).
Allstar customers who have historically used the company’s legacy mileage capture system have been automatically upgraded to BMM GPS Dongle solution.
Allstar also expects significant adoption of BMM from its remaining customer base.
BMM stores all users’ historical account data and any customers who had used the previous system are now able to access their new accounts to file mileage reports safe in the knowledge they are working within HMRC’s time reporting limits despite the system downtime.
Jon Mackney, head of consultancy for Allstar, said: “Simply plugged into a vehicle by the driver, the BMM device provides detailed mileage reporting that enables quick and simple identification of business versus personal mileage ahead of reimbursement.
“Most employers need to accurately know the split between business and private mileage so that they pay for fuel relating to business travel only.
“However, BMM will also reimburse business fuel at a fixed pence per mile making it an ideal tool for supporting private car drivers.”
The Allstar BMM aims to reduce costs for businesses by eliminating fraudulent fuel claims and ensuring only mileage related to company journeys is remunerated.
In addition to accurately apportioning business and private mileage, BMM also offers significantly reduced administration time as it captures date, time and mileage details of every journey meaning there’s no need for fleet drivers to trawl through receipts and calendars in an attempt to ascertain how much needs to be reclaimed.
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Gareth has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist having started his career in local newspapers in the 1990s. Prior to joining Fleet News in 2008, he worked in the public sector as a media advisor and is currently news editor at Fleet News.
Ross - 05/02/2013 15:31
Great idea but Wouldnt it be easier to have a single system or integrate with systems such as TomTom Business solutions that does the above anyway and also provides more detailed information such as driver behaviour, active driver feedback etc. Drivers have so many thngs in there cabs now shouldnt we be making it easier for them.....