Van drivers are increasingly being given a say in what vehicle they drive, according to Prof. Peter Cooke of Nottingham Business School, whose second annual Vauxhall-sponsored survey of light commercial vehicle trends has just been completed.

"It has been claimed on more than one occasion that sometimes it is easier to get a new chief executive than find – and retain – a good plumber – and that means driver involvement is critical," says Prof. Cooke. Findings highlighted in the new Vauxhall Light Commercial Vehicle Trends: 2004 report include:

- A third of respondents claim that drivers have an input into vehicle choice, while 48% of respondents allocate vans to individual named drivers.

- 17% of survey respondents claimed to have business car drivers on their fleets who have changed from cars to LCVs to reduce BiK tax liability.

- More than a third of respondents anticipate increasing the size of their LCV fleets over the next 2-3 years.

- The two most significant issues for LCV fleet managers over the next five years are considered to be 'business cost pressures' and 'fuel costs', although changing BiK costs are also expected to be a significant issue over the next five years.

The 80-page survey also looks at acquisition methods, replacement cycles and disposal policies, fleet management issues and industry expectations.

It analyses the findings from respondents on 310 fleets currently operating in excess of 110,000 LCVs. The survey was undertaken during the late summer for Vauxhall Motors by The Centre for Automotive Industries Management at Nottingham Business School, headed by Professor Peter N C Cooke, the KPMG Professor of Automotive Industries Management.