Towards the end of a tender, several quotes are sitting on the table – each in a different structure, different wording, different emphasis. This is when the most important document in fleet decisions gets made: the comparison table, in which every quote answers the same questions. This article presents our comparison table – row by row, with reasons.
- The precondition for comparison is a common structure: the same fleet, the same deductible picture, the same requirements list.
- The table's main rows: scope of cover, deductibles, rules for adding/removing vehicles, claims-handling practice, add-ons, premium.
- Flexibility in adding/removing vehicles and claims handling are the everyday rows – their weight rivals that of the premium.
- The table doesn't decide for the company: it shows the differences – the decision is the client's.
The top block of the table: content and deductibles
The first rows belong to the scope of cover: the MTPL framework, casco levels by category, limits, territorial scope, differences in exclusions – in other words, what the company gets. Next come the deductibles: percentage and minimum, by category. Without these two blocks, the premium row can't be interpreted: the cheaper quote often simply includes less – as the quote-reading article also shows. The power of the table lies precisely in making these differences visible once they're set out row by row.
The middle block: the everyday rows
This is where the rows most comparisons leave out come in – yet these are what shape everyday life with a fleet. Flexibility in adding/removing vehicles: how, through what channel, and with what confirmation vehicles get added or removed; whether there's a portal (portal article). Claims-handling practice: how inspections are arranged, repair routing, replacement-car availability. And administration: points of contact, response times, document requirements. These rows translate into money at claim time and throughout the year – their weight rivals that of the premium.
The bottom block: add-ons and premium
The content of the add-ons (depth of assistance cover, replacement-car terms, legal expenses element) gets its own rows – “yes/no” isn't enough here, the content is what matters. And finally the premium: at the annual level, and broken down by structure too (MTPL, casco, add-ons). This puts the premium row in its proper place: one criterion among several – important, but not the only one. The trap article covers the separate subject of the cheap quote: a strikingly low premium typically has a structural cause, and the table reveals it.
How is the decision made?
We talk through the finished table: row by row, I show where the quotes differ and what that means in practice – strengths, weaknesses, the small print. I won't tell you “this is the one you have to choose”: I assess your needs and explain your options – the decision is always yours. In my experience, with the table in front of you the decision typically makes itself: once the content is visible, the question is no longer “which is cheaper”, but “which one is right for us”.
The table's afterlife: a document that keeps working
The comparison table isn't a one-off tool: it keeps working after the decision too. In later renewal rounds, the earlier table is the point of reference – it shows what the winning quote promised, and what practice actually delivered (turnaround times for vehicle changes, claims-handling experience). In a dispute, the table helps you trace back what content the decision was based on – the contract's actual content is determined by the policy and the insurer's terms and conditions in force. And for a new joiner (a new fleet manager, a new finance director), it's the fastest induction material: the whole cover picture on one page. That's why the table has a place in your document organisation too – a permanent resident of the “Renewal” folder.
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