Brokers key as fleet market grows more complex, says Global Vehicle Group

Vehicle brokers are becoming increasingly important as UK businesses navigate a more complex leasing and fleet market, according to Global Vehicle Group (GVG), which argues that brokers now play a strategic advisory role extending far beyond sourcing vehicles.

The company says businesses are facing a growing range of considerations when acquiring vehicles, including electrification, tax, funding structures, salary sacrifice schemes, compliance requirements and vehicle availability. As a result, fleet decisions are increasingly influencing wider operational, financial and HR strategies.

“More choice in the market has not necessarily made life easier for business customers. In many cases, it has made decision-making harder,” he said.

“Businesses are having to weigh up not just vehicle availability and cost, but also tax treatment, electrification, funding structures, driver needs and longer-term risk. That is exactly why brokers are more relevant than ever.”

Hurst said the role of a broker has evolved beyond simply providing access to vehicles.

“The value of a broker today is not simply access to vehicles. It is the ability to provide independent guidance, bring together the right funding and supply options, and help customers make decisions that are genuinely right for their business. In a more complex market, that independence matters.”

GVG noted that while larger organisations often have dedicated fleet specialists, many SMEs lack the internal expertise or resources to navigate an increasingly technical marketplace.

The group also highlighted the growing influence of salary sacrifice schemes and the continued adoption of electric vehicles, which are bringing a wider range of stakeholders into vehicle procurement decisions. HR, finance and sustainability teams are now playing a much greater role alongside traditional fleet managers and operations teams.

According to GVG, this shift means businesses increasingly require advice that goes beyond transactional vehicle sourcing.

“For many businesses, vehicles are no longer just an operational issue,” Hurst said. “They can affect recruitment, retention, sustainability strategy, cashflow and compliance. That means the customer need has changed. Businesses want a partner who understands the bigger picture, not just someone who can quote a monthly rental.”

The company also pointed to the light commercial vehicle (LCV) market as an area where broker expertise continues to deliver significant value. For many operators, vehicle uptime and availability are often more critical than securing the lowest headline rental.

“In commercial vehicles especially, the cheapest option is not always the best if it does not meet the operational need or cannot be delivered quickly enough,” Hurst said.

“Businesses want value, but they also want uptime, speed and confidence. The right broker helps balance all of those things.”

Looking ahead, GVG believes the broker sector remains undervalued despite being well positioned to help businesses manage an increasingly fragmented and fast-changing fleet landscape.

“The leasing and fleet market is only getting more complex, not less,” Hurst concluded. “That is why we believe the role of the broker will continue to grow in importance. The businesses that succeed will be the ones that combine independence, expertise, technology and strong customer support to make that complexity easier to manage.”