Much has been written, and much more has been said, about what role the manufacturer, the fleet dealer, and the fleet administrator should play in the car fleet industry.

We have been told about how the manufacturers should do all in their power to put out the finest product that is available. We have been told about what services the fleet dealers should perform in the fleet buyer-seller relationship. We have been told about the role of the fleet administrator in the purchasing and the operation of a vehicle.

But we believe that not enough has been said about one party in this picture . . . the fleet driver.

You can have the manufacturer put out the finest product; you can have the best make-ready by a delivering dealer; you can have the sharpest fleet administrator in the business. But what does it all mean if the operator of that vehicle is not aware of the vehicle . . . not aware of the responsibility that he has to his company, to himself.

We sometimes wonder if all the stress that is being placed on the manufacturer, the fleet dealer, and the fleet administrator isn't perhaps a bit misplaced. We firmly believe that increased emphasis should be placed on the role of the driver.

Each driver receiving a company car has a responsibility. That driver must be made to realize that the operation of his car is as important to the company's over-all profit structure as any sale the driver will make. Does the driver look upon his car as a "gift" from his employer? Does the driver accept his car with a sense of pride, with a feeling that not only is he getting a "benefit" but he also is accepting a responsibility? The driver must realize he is being trusted with a valuable piece of company property.

The way the driver maintains his vehicle is perhaps the most important factor in any car's ultimate resale. If the driver shows no sense of obligation, no sense of responsibility to his company, to his car, his vehicle will reflect this lack of concern. As a result, the reconditioning charges and/or the trade-in will reflect this.

Each driver must be taught the importance of maintaining the company car. Each driver must be shown the role that he plays in the company's over-all. fleet program. By educating each driver on the proper maintenance of the vehicle, a fleet of drivers becomes educated . . . the cost of operation is reduced . . . trade-in results improve . . . reconditioning costs drop.

Not too much can be said about the driver's role in the field of safety. More and more fleet administrators are initiating safety programs within their companies. More and more fleet administrators and initiating incentive programs for self-driving records.

Most firms allow their drivers to use the company car for personal use. This is a privilege. It must be regarded as such by the driver. Any misuse of the vehicle during personal use should result in appropriate action by the fleet administrator.

Perhaps it is time that the fleet administrator sits down and takes a long, hard look at his driver training program. Is it a program that has been in use for a number of years? Is it a program that offers the latest changes in driving laws throughout the states? Is it a program that provides further training in the use of the automobile? Is it a program that stresses the importance of safe driving?

A little time spent with the driver and with driver problems might be the most valuable time that the fleet administrator could spend in his goal of providing his company with the most efficient and most economical fleet program. We think it is something that each fleet administrator should give a great deal of thought to.