Personal use of company vehicles ticked up in Automotive Fleet’s 2026 survey, while more respondents also reported charging employees for the privilege.
Seventy-nine percent of respondents allow personal use, up from 72% in 2024. Amongst respondents who answered the charge query, 54% assess a personal-use fee, up from 48% in 2024.
The rise in personal-use privileges interrupts a longer-term decline within the survey results. In 2013, 87% of responding fleets allowed personal use before the share step by step fell to 72% in 2024.
The 2026 survey included 71 respondents, compared with 94 in 2024, and survey populations vary from 12 months to 12 months. The outcomes are best viewed as a snapshot of current practices, with year-to-year comparisons providing directional context slightly than evidence of a longer-term reversal.
After declining from 87% in 2013 to 72% in 2024, the share of surveyed fleets allowing personal use rose to 79% in 2026.
Personal Use Stays Widely Available
Among the many 67 respondents answering the query about conditions for private use, 64% said employees may use their company vehicles personally “in any respect times, every time mandatory,” compared with 53% in 2024. One other 9% limit personal use to travel to and from work, while 24% chosen “Other.”
“Other” responses included policies based on mileage or geographic limits, management approval, department-specific rules, minimal personal use, and respondents that don’t permit personal use.
Driving privileges for others modified less. In 2026, 42% of respondents permit an worker’s spouse to drive the corporate vehicle, compared with 38% in 2024. Nine percent allow licensed children to drive, compared with 6% in 2024.
Nearly half of 2026 respondents, 48%, said nobody apart from the worker is permitted to drive the corporate vehicle, compared with 60% in 2024. One other 17% chosen “Other,” which included domestic partners, significant others, and other household members.
Respondents could select a couple of authorized-driver category.
Amongst respondents who charge for private use, 61% assess $130 or more per 30 days, while 39% charge lower than $130.
More Than Half Report a Personal-Use Charge
Amongst respondents answering the personal-use charge query in 2026, 54% reported assessing a charge, compared with 48% of respondents in 2024.
Among the many 36 respondents reporting a monthly charge in 2026, 39% charge lower than $130 per 30 days. One other 36% charge between $130 and $150, while 14% charge between $151 and $180. Three percent charge between $181 and $200, and eight% charge $201 or more.
Overall, 61% of respondents assessing a fee reported monthly charges of $130 or more, compared with 49% in 2024.
Because only 36 respondents reported a monthly charge in 2026, the difference must be viewed as directional. Still, the outcomes show fewer charging respondents below the $130 threshold than within the previous survey.
The 2026 survey also asked about recent increases. Eleven respondents said their firms increased personal-use charges during 2025, and five reported one other increase because the starting of 2026. All five fleets reporting a 2026 increase had also raised their charges in 2025.
The small variety of respondents prevents drawing a broader industry conclusion, however the responses show that some fleets have revisited their personal-use charges in consecutive years.
Nearly half of respondents allow nobody besides the worker to drive the corporate vehicle, while 42% permit an worker’s spouse. Respondents could select a couple of answer.
Managing Who Can Drive
Amongst 2026 respondents for whom the query was applicable, 87% require a motorized vehicle record (MVR) check for authorized drivers apart from the worker, compared with 77% in 2024.
The variety of respondents is comparatively small, so the difference is directional. MVR checks nevertheless remain a standard practice amongst responding fleets that reach driving privileges beyond the worker.
Nearly half of respondents allow nobody besides the worker to drive the corporate vehicle, while 42% permit an worker’s spouse. Respondents could select a couple of answer.
Job Function Still Drives Vehicle Eligibility
Job function stays the leading think about determining who receives an organization vehicle, cited by 69% of 2026 respondents, compared with 73% in 2024.
Job title was cited by 45%, essentially unchanged from 2024. Annual business mileage was cited by 30%, down from 36% in 2024, while fringe-benefit considerations were cited by 18%, down from 29% in 2024. One other 16% chosen “Other.”
Respondents could select a couple of vehicle-assignment factor, so the chances don’t total 100%.
The outcomes proceed a longstanding pattern. Job function has ranked because the leading vehicle-assignment think about every Automotive Fleet personal-use survey since 2008.
Source: Automotive Fleet 2026 Personal Use Survey; 71 respondents. Response totals vary by query. That handles the denominator issue cleanly without cluttering the person graphics.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents allow personal use in any respect times, while 24% chosen “Other,” including policies with mileage, geographic, or approval restrictions.
This Article First Appeared At www.automotive-fleet.com
