Running a business is nothing but expensive. From the costs associated with your supply chain to small recurring costs like utilities, heat, and electricity, it seems like a lot of your job involves keeping the books balanced.
As such, we’re all guilty of finding ways to cut expenses to help our revenue growth, but while many of those cuts fall firmly on the smart side, is it a good idea to reduce fleet risk management if you’re operating a fleet of vehicles?
The answer is no, but what is fleet risk management and why do you really need it? Read on to find out.
What is fleet risk management?
At its most basic, fleet risk management is the process of making sure you’re doing everything you can to make sure everyone in a business is insured, safe, and aware of any hazards on the road.
Help keep drivers safe while on the road, reduce costs for your fleet, and ensure you’re compliant with the law. But why is it illegal not to commit to fleet risk management? It has something to do with…
Your duty of care
If you are a business owner, you probably know that you have a duty of care to your staff to ensure that their workplace is safe. In doing so, you must work to prevent health hazards from occurring and train staff to deal with any hazards that may occur.
What you may not know, however, is that your duty of care doesn’t end at your welcome mat – it extends to anywhere your staff work, and that includes any fleet of vehicles you operate. In effect, this means that you are legally required to ensure that your staff are properly trained and aware of potential risks. Failing to do so can result in you being held liable for accidents that do occur, something that nobody wants.
There are three main areas of risk management that you need to attend to. Is it so:
Driver
Verification and selection of drivers
induction procedures
license checks
Accident reporting procedures
Vehicle
Vehicle Suitability
Vehicle maintenance and inspections
vehicle safety
Trip
trip planning
Driver fatigue management
speed management
trip type
It is always recommended that you work with an external fleet risk management company as this will ensure that you are 100% compliant with the law and that your staff receive the support they need to do their jobs effectively.
