THE CAR AND TRUCK FLEET AND LEASING MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE
It’s an old adage, but believe it or not, it applies quite nicely to fleet management. Though sometimes it is tempting to say that the job of managing a fleet has changed dramatically, has it really?
There are many concerns that must be addressed when creating a policy, as concerns can be different for every company. This includes effectively communicating policies and reviewing them on an annual basis.
Fleets need to have back up from its organization to instill a profound safety culture. Having full support from the top down will initiate efforts that are aimed at improving driver safety.
One under-discussed topic is when a fleet vehicle is impounded because it is part of a crime scene and declared by the police to be physical evidence in a criminal investigation.
Running a well-managed fleet is a complex task that requires supervision by someone with deep subject-matter expertise. As a result, a fleet manager’s capabilities and expertise can be easily overlooked by executive management not versed in the intricacies of fleet management.
While there never seems to be enough money to go around, one of the less talked about aspects of fleet management is the amount of budget dollars that are wasted every year.
Many times employees who have an “entitlement mentality” do not have a sense of responsibility to take care of the company asset as if it was their own. This impacts fleet costs. A company vehicle in poor condition because of driver abuse or neglect will result in lost resale value or incur unnecessary reconditioning expense at auction.
Average personal use charges industry-wide were flat year over year, but more fleets have been increasing charges the past few years.
Negligent entrustment lawsuits typically focus on whether the company has an established safety policy and whether it enforces those policies. It is important to remember the standard for negligent entrustment is not whether the employer knows it has put people at risk; it is whether the employer should have known.
Despite the best laid plans of iron-clad fleet safety policies, accidents will happen, and commercial drivers need to know what to do when the time comes.