Corporate ground transportation refers to professionally managed, compliant, and fully insured transportation services designed specifically for business travelers, executives, and corporate travel programs. In today’s post-pandemic environment, corporate travel buyers are reevaluating their criteria for selecting ground transportation providers.

At a recent Business Travel News (BTN) educational summit, corporate travel managers and procurement professionals outlined new industry standards that ground transportation companies must meet. These recommendations reflect evolving expectations around safety, compliance, fleet management, insurance transparency, and duty of care.

New Corporate Ground Transportation Standards in 2023

Corporate travel buyers from around the world presented suggestions and recommendations for purchasing corporate ground transportation, arranging road shows and deciding who to use for ground transportation.

Today, we share the recommendations being given to travel buyers as the new criteria for making selections on ground transportation companies as we recover from the pandemic.

Fleet Standards: Vehicle Age & VIN Verification

Corporate transportation buyers should no longer expect vehicles to be 2 to 4 years old. Instead, the norm should be 5 to 6 year old vehicles. Buyers were advised to ask for Vehicle Identification Numbers of vehicles in a fleet and check them against a Free VIN Verification System.

Real-Time Monitoring: GPS and In-Car Camera Requirements

It is no longer acceptable to simply have GPS tracking devices in vehicles. Someone should be monitoring the vehicle at all times for speed, safety and location. In-car cameras are now considered a “must-have” device in the car and buyers were advised to avoid using any company that doesn’t have cameras installed in their vehicles.

Employee-Based Chauffeurs vs Independent Operators

Buyers were told to ask ground transportation providers if they have employees or use Independent Operators who own their own vehicles. The recommendation issued was to use only companies that own their vehicles and work with affiliates who follow the same model of owning their vehicles and having employees only. The reason for this was cited as “uniform standards”, “vehicle standards” and “duty of care standards” – all of which cannot be guaranteed with Independent Operators.

Insurance Transparency and Risk Management

BTN shared that only a handful of insurance carriers are still insuring ground transportation providers. The cost of premiums has skyrocketed. Buyers can expect to see that reflected in rate increases and should understand that this is not simply an effort to raise prices but a matter of sustainability. Additionally, buyers were told to ask transportation providers to have their insurance companies send Certificates of Insurance and Fleet Schedules directly to the buyer.

Corporate Payment Programs vs Traditional Invoicing

The days of ground transportation providers sending invoices are over! Ground transportation companies are no longer in a financial position to carry invoices. After the layoffs of staff, they lack the resources to track payments/invoices. There are enough corporate credit card programs on the market today that you should be paying as you go and racking up Rewards Points. Don’t even think about asking them to bill you.

Why Corporate Travel Programs Should Avoid Ride-Hailing Apps

BTN recommends that corporate travelers avoid Uber, Lyft and other similar ride-hailing apps. This recommendation was based on a survey of Uber drivers who said they really don’t clean their cars between passengers. BTN also reported that Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) do not do criminal background checks using fingerprints. They require no drug and/or alcohol testing to join the network and do not perform random testing as the limousine industry does.

What This Means for Corporate Travel Buyers

The evolving standards discussed at the BTN summit highlight a clear shift in corporate travel expectations. Today’s travel managers must prioritize compliance, transparency, duty of care, and operational oversight when selecting ground transportation providers. Cost alone should no longer drive decisions. Instead, corporate travel programs should partner with fully regulated, professionally managed companies that can demonstrate consistent safety standards, fleet accountability, and enterprise-level reliability.

Note: The opinions shared in this blog are those of BTN and/or summit participants and should not be considered as an official statement or opinion of Ecko Worldwide Transportation Group and/or our subsidiary companies.

Frequently Asked Questions About Corporate Ground Transportation

Q1. What is corporate ground transportation?
A1. It is a professionally managed transportation service designed for business travelers, executives, and corporate travel programs with compliance and safety standards.

Q2. Why should companies avoid independent operators?
A2. Independent operators may not meet uniform fleet, insurance, and duty-of-care standards required by corporate travel programs.

Q3. Are GPS and in-car cameras required for corporate travel?
A3. Many corporate buyers now require real-time vehicle monitoring and in-car cameras to enhance passenger safety and compliance.

Q4. Why is insurance verification important?
A4. Corporate travel buyers must ensure providers maintain active commercial insurance with fleet documentation directly from carriers.

Q5. Is ride-hailing suitable for corporate travel programs?
A5. Many corporate travel managers prefer regulated transportation providers due to background checks, training, and duty-of-care compliance.