Frederick Jace
When it comes to fleet vehicles, safety is the number one priority, and that means having protocols in place to mitigate risk when they’re on the road.
While some may seem like common sense, these protocols are essential to keeping your fleet safe at all times and protecting you against liability in the event of an accident.
Your fleet vehicles are an investment, so make sure they’re protected with these protocols designed to keep them as safe as possible on the road.
Use Telematics
Telematics is becoming more and more popular as it serves as fleet risk management to monitor and manage assets. Telematics lets fleet managers know where their vehicles are at all times and give them insight into how safe each driver is, including hard braking patterns, excessive acceleration, and others.
For example, one company saved more money per year after using telematics to mitigate risk; they used that money to purchase new technology that further enhanced their monitoring capabilities.
Telematics has its share of risks because there is an invasion of privacy aspect involved; however, if you’re interested in mitigating risk in your fleet without making big investments (and with minimal privacy invasions), telematics may be right for you.
Automate Vehicle Maintenance
Keeping your vehicles maintained properly will save you time and money, not to mention avoid embarrassing situations. For example, if your vehicles’ engine light goes on while it’s driving down a highway, what are you going to do?
That should never happen if maintenance is done correctly. Consider setting up a maintenance schedule that includes routine services such as oil changes and tire rotations to maintain optimal vehicle performance and safety.
For long-distance drivers or those who use their cars for specific jobs (delivery drivers), more regular services like oil changes and tire rotations might be necessary. Also, keep an eye out for warning signs like chipped paint or dull tires, which can signal bigger problems that could lead to breakdowns.
Assess All Drivers Before Hiring
It’s important to develop clear and objective criteria for hiring a new driver. You need a solid set of standards applied fairly and consistently rather than on a case-by-case basis. Developing specific qualifications can help you weed out undesirable drivers or encourage drivers who already meet your criteria to apply for positions at your company.
For example, you might consider such criteria as experience operating medium-duty trucks and understanding city routes; multi-tasking ability; commitment and dependability; professional appearance (dress code); honesty, integrity, and ethics.
By giving each prospective driver a detailed job description, you can get a clear idea of whether or not they’re qualified for your company. Then, you can have them fill out an application and provide references and additional contact information for you to follow up with. If necessary, arrange an interview that allows you to meet them face-to-face.
Ask questions that allow you to assess their qualifications, interpersonal skills, and willingness to go above and beyond on behalf of your company. For example: Why do they want to work with us? What knowledge do they have about our industry?
