Fleet managers have invested heavily in telematics, driver monitoring and safety programs for employees operating company vehicles. But many are being asked to manage a much larger driver population that includes employees using personal vehicles for business.

Those grey fleet drivers may be reimbursed for mileage or given a vehicle allowance, but the fleet organization may have limited visibility into their motor vehicle records, insurance coverage, vehicle condition or overall risk profile. That creates a practical challenge for fleet managers: How can they apply consistent safety standards when they do not control every vehicle?

The 2026 Fleet Forward Conference session “Grey Fleet, Real Liability: A Holistic Approach to Managing Risk Across Your Entire Driver Population” will combine the operational experience of an end-user fleet with perspectives from safety, insurance, reimbursement and technology specialists.

The concurrent session will take place Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 2:15 to 3 p.m. at Gaylord National Harbor.

Jose Rocha, CAFM, fleet manager at NCR Atleos, will bring the fleet operator’s perspective to the panel. He will join Alan Wisniewski of Cardata and John Barbagallo, strategic advisor to SambaSafety, to examine what it takes to move grey fleet risk management from policy into practice.

Grey Fleet Risk Is a Pressing Issue

The issue has become more pressing as commercial auto insurance rates have increased by more than 50% over four years and nuclear verdicts have expanded the potential consequences of serious crashes. At the same time, employees increasingly travel for business in personally owned, reimbursed, and other non-company vehicles that may fall outside conventional fleet safety programs.

“For fleet managers, extending oversight to these drivers raises operational questions that go beyond selecting a technology platform,” said Chris Brown, conference chair. “Who owns the grey fleet population? What information can the organization reasonably require? How are policies enforced? How can fleet, safety, risk management, human resources and finance work from the same standards? This session will answer those questions.”

The panel will address:

·         Identifying employees who drive personal vehicles for company business

·         Applying consistent safety standards across company-owned and reimbursed vehicles

·         Using continuous motor vehicle record monitoring to identify changes in driver risk

·         Verifying personal insurance and vehicle requirements

·         Structuring reimbursement programs to improve compliance and visibility

·         Determining which department owns specific areas of grey fleet oversight

·         Connecting grey fleet policies with the organization’s wider safety program

·         Measuring the effects on liability exposure, insurance premiums and operating costs

Attendees will leave with a framework they can use to evaluate their full business-driving population, identify gaps in their current programs and begin bringing grey fleet drivers under a more consistent safety and compliance structure.

About Fleet Forward Conference

Fleet Forward Conference convenes fleet operators and industry leaders to examine the technologies, strategies and new mobility models reshaping commercial fleets.

The 2026 conference will take place Oct. 20–22 at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, with sessions addressing AI and data integration, safety and risk, electrification, fleet operations and leadership.